Natural Rubber is Eco-Friendly

There is only one truly viable source for natural rubber - that of the Hevea (Hevea Brasilliensis) tree. Though native to the Amazon, the Hevea has also been successfully established and cultivated in various other parts of the world for the past century.

Hevea trees produce latex in vessels within the bark. The bark is periodically scored (no more than once every several days) at an angle corresponding to the vessels below the surface, allowing the latex to flow into a collection cup. Though not a completely accurate comparison, one could loosely liken the harvesting of rubber from the Hevea to how sap is obtained from maples to produce syrup. An average Hevea will produce commercially viable quantities of latex for about 30 years.

But the real beauty of collecting natural rubber is that it does no harm to the trees - a welcome concept in an age where many of the world's natural resources are exploited at unsustainable levels. Natural rubber also has ecological advantages as compared to synthetic rubber. One of the primary disadvantages of synthetics rubbers is that all are made from petrochemicals, contributing to the depletion of petroleum supplies. Additionally, manufacture of synthetic rubber brings with it the likelihood of increased energy consumption, emissions and waste.

The material used in Le Chameau natural rubber boots is not only far more eco-friendly, it is also more supple, flexible, resilient, and better able to retain these qualities than synthetic rubber, even at the lowest temperatures - all reasons as to why the discerning outdoor enthusiasts who demand the best demand Le Chameau.