With the **recycling of rubber**, an activity that saved the economy of **Marajó**, an Amazonian village in **Brazil**, resurfaced.
The recent resurgence of the **”siringuero” trade** in a impoverished region in the north of the country activated a sustainable economy and restored employment to hundreds of families.
The same families that for generations lived off the rubber boom in the Amazon, until the demand **plummeted at the end of the 20th century**.
Now, an initiative by the local company **Seringô** enabled more than **1500 siringueros to resume their work** to manufacture products such as **footwear**, while also caring for the jungle and resources.
## Rubber Recycling: how the technique is done
To carry out the activity, careful cuts are made to the tree (siringas) so as not to damage the trunk. These specimens, native to the Amazon, immediately begin to **release their latex**, which workers collect in containers.
According to the siringueros interviewed by the agency **AFP**, this liquid only comes out if stimulated frequently. Therefore, **maintaining consistency** is essential.
The liquid is then mixed with vinegar until a whitish paste is obtained, which is hung on a rope for **ten days to dry**.
The rubber is ready to be sold to Seringô, which recovers it. Deforestation skyrocketed in Marajó when the demand for Amazon rubber to make tires disappeared because countries like **Malaysia began planting siringas** on a large scale.
## A family trade
With one of the worst Human Development Index (**HDI**) in Brazil, “it was necessary to generate income in Marajó,” explains Zelia Damasceno, who founded Seringô with her husband to promote **bioeconomy in the region**.
Although they initially promoted craftsmanship, over time they also found another **option for manufacturing: footwear**.
Their factory in Castanhal, on the east side of the island, produces about 200 pairs of sports shoes and biodegradable sandals daily, made of 70% rubber and 30% açaí powder.
Recently, they received support from the government of the state of **Pará** to reach the goal of **10,000 “siringueros” in Marajó**. This is part of a development program in the region launched before the UN COP30, scheduled for November in Belém.
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