CPC B07B 11/06 (2013.01) [A01D 45/00 (2013.01); B02C 23/08 (2013.01); B29B 15/02 (2013.01); C08C 2/06 (2013.01); C08C 4/00 (2013.01); C08J 11/06 (2013.01); B29K 2007/00 (2013.01); C08J 2307/00 (2013.01); Y02W 30/62 (2015.05)] | 20 Claims |
1. A method for managing waste associated with the processing of guayule shrubs for the extraction of rubber, the method comprising:
providing guayule shrubs comprising leaves, bark, woody material, and roots at a harvest site;
utilizing a portable local sub-station comprising a chopper which reduces the guayule shrubs to a guayule plant matter with pieces having an average length of about ¼″ to about 4″, wherein only above-ground portions of the guayule shrubs are included in the guayule plant matter, thereby producing a semi-processed guayule material with a weight at least 5% lower than the weight of the guayule shrubs; and
transporting the semi-processed guayule material to a remote rubber extraction plant capable of producing rubber, resin and waste bagasse from the semi-processed guayule material where the waste bagasse comprises at least 60% by weight of the semi-processed guayule material.
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