In a world where one person can own up to fifty pairs of shoes, the shoe industry has begun to see the need to adopt eco-friendly practices. Shoe manufacturers are improving their production methods to reduce the size of the carbon footprint they leave. However, recognizing that eco-friendly assembly is not enough, the industry has incorporated recycled and biodegradable materials into its eco-footwear production.
Ecological footwear manufacturing
In the late 19th century, when factories emerged in the United States, domestic shoe manufacturing boomed. Due to cheap production practices abroad in recent years, shoe manufacturers have largely left the US However, creating eco-friendly footwear is bringing some of that business back home.
Less energy, more benefits
Shoemakers can save money by going green! The following production practices are becoming increasingly popular in manufacturing due to their ability to reduce costs:
– Wind power
– Solar energy
– Conversion of waste into energy
– Energy conservation machinery
Ecological materials
The use of eco-friendly textiles and post-consumer materials in eco-footwear manufacturing has already had a significant impact in reducing the negative effects of the industry on Earth. Since the late 1800s, the St. Louis-based Daniel Green Company has been an American shoemaker keeping pace with the green times. Their Callie and Kenzie women’s slippers are made from 100% recycled wool, greener styles are expected soon, energy use and material waste have been reduced in their manufacturing processes.
Green textiles:
– Recycled wool
– Recycled polyester
– Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
– Organic cotton
– bamboo
– hemp
Recycled textiles
Making a shoe entirely from recycled materials is nothing new. In 2008, Nike released its Trash Talk, the first basketball shoe made entirely from manufacturing waste.
Since an average textile factory consumes around 35 million kilowatts of electricity per hour, it is easy to see the benefit of reusing the materials that were initially produced. Some eco-shoe manufacturers have bypassed textiles entirely, using plastic bottles or old tires as the main components in the production of their footwear.
Other eco-friendly practices in the footwear industry: streamlining processes, eco-friendly packaging, and overstock donations
Running as a successful shoe company can easily affect the environment, but manufacturers today have options, and financial success doesn’t have to come at the expense of the planet.
Green shoe companies are applying the green initiative to all aspects of their business by implementing sustainable corporate policies and green packaging methods. Boxes are being manufactured with recycled materials and catalogs are being printed on post-consumer paper with soy ink. More and more companies are choosing to eliminate waste by donating overstock and obsolete shoes to organizations around the world.
