Can renewable materials help shoe brands reduce their CO2 emissions?
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Recycled materials, bio-based technology, and net zero carbon goals. These are just a few of the solutions the fashion industry is exploring to answer its problematic role in climate change. While behemoth brands like H&M have laid out net-zero carbon and recycled materials goals, bio-based materials haven’t received much attention from the big players in the fashion industry. But, in 2021, Crocs announced that its shoes would be bio-based in 2022. As a company that sells an estimated 18.9 million pairs of its plastic clogs yearly, that’s a lot of fossil fuel-derived products that potentially won’t exist anymore. This change could also spark a chain reaction within the industry for more brands to rethink their use of single-use plastic for more sustainable materials.
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The materials that make our clothes and accessories are an integral part of the discussion about sustainable fashion. Take cotton for instance. Traditional cotton farming is linked to inefficient water management which in turn leads to water scarcity and pollution. Regeneratively farmed or organic cotton can save water usage by up to 90% and doesn’t require pesticides to grow. Biomaterials can mimic plastic-based and leather materials but being derived from plant-based sources such as seaweed and mycelium, they offer benefits such as degrading naturally, emitting fewer CO2 emissions to produce, and lessening the industry’s reliance on fossil fuels.
Sustainable Materials Make A Difference
“At *3.94 kg CO2 eq. per pair of Classic Clogs, Crocs already has a low CO2 footprint compared to many other iconic footwear styles, but we won’t be satisfied until we reach Net Zero by 2030.”
Crocs announced that switching from virgin to bio-based materials put them on track to reduce their carbon footprint by 50% for each pair of Crocs by 2030. The new materials, dubbed Coslite, have reduced the footprint to 3.94 kg CO2. Yet, while the material is different and the carbon footprint is lower, the company is adamant that the feel and look of the shoes that customers have come to love and expect will remain the same.
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The other sustainable initiative for Crocs classic clogs is Ecolibrium technology. Through a collaboration with Dow, a materials science company, sustainably sourced waste and byproducts are turned into new materials. Crocs is the first footwear brand to go to market with this technology that will be used in Coslite.
Using innovative and renewable materials is part of Crocs commitment to become a net zero company by 2030. In 2020, 85% of Crocs were sold without shoe boxes. By the end of 2021, the brand became vegan. Coupled with better materials, all of these efforts help the company to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and CO2 emissions.
What Other Shoe Brands Use Bio-Materials?
Fans of Cros and sustainable products will have to wait until 2022 for the full line to hit shelves. Until then, Crocs classic clogs have currently made with conventional materials, but a few styles have implemented Croslite into their designs. The Classic Bleach Dye and Lined Clog are two styles that have Croslite cushioned footbeds.
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If you’re on the hunt for shoes that are made from plant-based or biobased materials from other brands, there are several that designed with these sustainable materials:
Veja
Veja’s Fitzroy are hiking shoes that meet the demands of trekking mountains by being grippy, tough, and partly waterproof. They’re also made with several biomaterials.
Norda
This is an elite brand founded by runners for runners that crafts their shoes from Dyneema, another bio-based material. Dubbed, ‘the world’s strongest fiber’, it’s sourced from renewable and bio-based feedstock. Adding to its sustainable initiative, it’s also made from renewable energy sources that further save CO2.
Allbirds
Allbirds oared to popularity with their wool sneakers, but the brand also utilizes other materials made from plants. Their running shoes, Tree Dashers, are made from fibers sourced from eucalyptus trees.
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