Tyres made from dandelions? Welcome to the future of rubber!

The roadside flower often considered as a pest now has a bright future in the tyre industry.

Dutch biologist Ingrid van der Meer often meets with disbelief when she talks about her work on dandelions and how it could secure the future of road transport. The reaction is understandable, given most people regard the yellow flowers as pesky intruders in their gardens rather than a promising source of rubber for tyres.