Tomato peels, eggshells and other food that gets discarded could be turned into sustainable rubber for use in tires, according to a new study.

Researchers found that the petroleum-based material used as filler for rubber tires could be made from food waste and other trash, offering a petroleum alternative in tire manufacturing. And beyond tires, the scientists think using food waste as a filler could expand the potential applications of rubber, they said.

Cindy Barrera, a postdoctoral researcher at Ohio State University (OSU) and co-author of the research, said that conventional fillers can make rubber stronger, but also less flexible.