Shoe Waste In 2020
The footwear industry produces 23.5 Billion pairs of shoes annually for 7.6 Billion people in the world, with roughly 300 million pairs ending up in landfills after they have been worn less than their recommended product life span. With estimates suggesting that the average pair takes more than 50 years to fully decompose and Ethylene Vinyl Acetate, which usually makes up the midsole of most running shoes, can last for as long as 1,000 years in a landfill, this is a habit that our plant won’t be able to sustain for much longer. A habit we should be worried and concerned and actively striving to change. As part of a wider problem regarding sustainability found within the fashion world, the footwear industry has been slow to catch up on the sustainability train. However, consumers are beginning to look for more eco-friendly footwear that is both recyclable and provides healthy working environments for those within the industry. Globally, consumers are changing and nearly eight in 10 consumers surveyed say they value sustainability. Hand in hand, over 70% of these respondents claim they would pay, on average, 35% more for eco-friendly brands. Almost 80% of North Americans want to know the origin of the products they buy, if it’s ethical, and who makes them and 69% of these consumers would pay a premium for brands that provide this information. So, the shoe industry has some serious catching up to do. The times are changing and so are we. It’s time for big industries to keep up and make that change. Shoe waste in sports: In reality everyone needs shoes, and less of a necessity but more of a preference to fit into societal norms we need more than one pair. Millions of people all around the world rely on specific models of shoes to get them through their jobs, hobbies, and professions. We need shoes for every season especially those who have extreme seasons like winters or summer. Being from New Hampshire I know I go through one pair of winter boots every year, and as a skateboarder (a beginner I may add) I’ve already gone through a pair of skate shoes in the last 4 months. Skaters burn through shoes like no other, ripping holes and wearing the soles down. The average life of a skater’s shoe is about 3-4 months. Meaning the average skater seemingly goes through at least 4 shoes a year just based on basic needs, never mind the average person’s extra wants, and daily wearers. And that’s just one example of a sport, even Runners are recommended 2-4 pairs of shoes minimum at all times and that’s for safety and health! Shoes are a staple to our daily life, and not to mention a way people also express themselves and show creativity, shoes enable people to be who they want whether it’s through fashion, a sport, anything! Shoe Alternatives Being Used Now And The Problems: The current problem with the shoe industry is that it’s a bit behind schedule. And now that consumer demands are changing it’s time for brands to pick up the pace. Currently most of the troubles lay within design, materials, and process. A big question like what actually makes a shoe actually sustainable and ethical but is also possible to make hangs over this industry like no other. Solutions like using plant based materials Although it sounds good on paper may actually be ethically wrong and “green washing” their company and products, claiming it’s eco friendly when it’s not. In reality the process of producing plant based materials is as energy laden as using a petrol base for a shoe. And not to mention probably not that sustainable if we have a food crisis as well. It’s just not the most ideal solution to use our food, energy, and resources for non-edible items. Currently it seems to be like companies just dance around the idea of sustainability when really it’s not something to play with. Corporations frequently make public statements that the environment is on their agenda, making claims of having goals and okand but actually having little to no evidence of actual goals or steps to take. The smallest actions can equate to big change and I think that gets overlooked a lot, by just having a plan already means you’re taking a step. We need to take steps globally no matter how big or small. Shoe Recyling and solutions For the Public When companies and brands fail to be up to par when it comes to sustainable products, all the weight lays in the consumers hands. As it is we struggle with all sorts of waste in the world, and the general population doesn’t make enough active efforts to reverse or prevent climate change. Collecting or depositing discarded products in the proper place for them to be recycled is critical, and people can’t even recycle their plastic at home correctly. We’re all approaching climate change wrong and it’s not any one person’s fault but a collective. We need to work together to make sustainability more accessible. We need to work with organizations that take on the task of receiving discarded products and redirecting them, we need to normalize going to recycling centers, and having more readily available, like having drop off/pick up companies to work on tackling specifically for this articles purpose, shoe waste/materials and make the idea of recycling way more accessible. Current solutions for public recycling centers include donating to Goodwill and Salvation Army. This is a good start because these companies sort and redirect unusable products to re-selling centers or deem them as usable and resell them giving them another life cycle. But we need more than just that. To create change you’re supposed to go to the root of the problem, and yes one may say the consumers are the root of the problem but we’re all the problem collectively. We need more sustainable options for the general public, not just a few select “green brands’ ‘ to choose from or a recycling center or a goodwill that most consumers aren’t even sure will take their products. We need to normalize sustainability in big corporations and have it talked about and valued every time. Sustainability needs to go mainstream, It’s time to change. Brands That Are Changing: Heavy weights such as Gucci, who have created a line of shoes manufactured from bio-plastic; and Nike, who take old shoes and turn them into rubber pellets for running tracks, have both made strides in creating a more sustainable industry. Also big name brand Vans is a part of the Sustainable Apparel and has recently teamed up with Finsterre, a Cornwall-based footwear company, to launch their most environmentally conscious shoes to date, Coalition created with the planet in mind. Organic cotton, vegan leathers, and recycled backings make up the majority of the new groundbreaking design. Vans is using recycled plastic bottles for webbing, laces, and signature tabs. The result of this innovation is a new hiking boot. The line is a great push for companies with the money and resources to invest their creativity in the sustainability movement. Many other small businesses are on the rise and creating many sustainable alternatives. Setting the bar high is Thousand Fell by placing “Please return for recycling.” On their shoes, the brand is the first to launch a model where it takes back its shoes to be recycled in their entirety, paying for customers to ship back old pairs, so the company can assure that they are taken apart and every component is recycled or composted. This brand touches back on what I was previously stating about accessibility to recycling. This brand ensures they get people to recycle. Another example is brand LYF (Love Your Footprint) took the concept of the shoe back to the drawing board by designing a type of modular shoe that can be taken apart and rebuilt. Using stitching rather than gluing, the LYF shoes are designed for disassembly, allowing consumers to change pieces that are worn out or simply replace the body of the shoes with new fabric as the mood takes them. This personally is one of my favorite takes to modernizing today’s shoes. Design to be disassembled, the easier it can be taken apart the easier it can be fixed- think of a car. Some jobs are easy on cars because the part is easily accessible, other jobs take hours just to get to the part that needs fixing. . The Future of Shoe Production Personally I believe that the shoe industry really needs to rethink shoe assembly. Drawing in from brand Thousand Fell they have simplified the shoe which enables them to have easy access to parts and repair. By rethinking designs and materials together the shoe industry could be on track if not ahead in the sustainable world. It is important that brands and companies look deep into their supplies. And discuss and research eco friendly alternatives for key materials like rubber. And look into using more materials like recycled plastics, corks, etc. Materials are the key to long lasting and sturdy materials. Shouldn’t making things better and having them last longer be part of the sustainability discussion? Designing footwear that can be resolved is a strong concept that could produce massive positive change within the footwear industry, it’s time to extensively look into our materials and quality and look for ways to dramatically increase our products life cycle. Designing footwear that can be replaced when worn out, resoled or just snapped together is a fantastic starting point. Chatter within the shoe industry also includes ideas where the brand is the owner of the product and the customer leases it thus making the brand responsible for rightfully recycling or reconstructing a shoe rather than leaving it to consumers to be rather unpredictable with. There are so many innovative ideas and steps that can be taken and will open a land of opportunity to so many businesses. It’s time to revolutionize the shoe industry, it’s time to think green and think ethically. A huge step we can take now is to enforce policies within companies or strongly encourage Brands to create and show their sourcing maps and setting goals and plans to achieve them. Thus being honest with customers, lets not forget that almost 80% of North Americans want to know the origin of the products they buy, if it’s ethical, and who makes them and 69% of these consumers would pay a premium for brands that provide this information. The future holds so much opportunity and growth within all business and industry. With social media making it easier and quicker than ever to relay information to consumers we have such power and influence over the world, and as the shoe industry- especially the youth. Quite amazingly enough the younger customers are increasingly demanding higher ethical standards from companies in a variety of issues such as environmental concerns, inclusiveness and animal rights. The brands that want to keep their customers in the new decade should take this and run. Social media is the way to a consumer these days, as most brands realize this and have tapped into it it’s time to take it to the next step offering kids and consumers knowledge about sustainability, creating and posting stories on how to up-cycle, where to recycle, and ways to live a sustainable life. Customers value sustainability so give it to them! Show them how! Brands need to follow the trends and look more into things like thrifting and up-cycling and how that is on the rise. Thrifting is not only a trending want for consumers in 2020 but it is a need for the planet. If companies could tap into the world of thrifting who’s to say they won’t find gold. Some ideas include but aren’t limited to hunting down your brand in the thrifts and taking them back to the drawing board and redesigning them, up-cycling them as used and creating more one of a kind shoes that would draw a huge demand since it’s a rare one of one piece. Some of these specialized pieces can be auctioned, and proceeds donated to big causes like sustainable foundations, or nonprofits fighting for equality and ethical rights. The truth is we have so many options. In this world there are so many creative minds, we need to come together to go back to the drawing boards and collaborate to revolutionize not only fashion but bigger things like societal norms, and our planet. Climate Change is here and it is time that we acknowledge its presence and how ours can either make or break the future. sources and helpful links: https://www.businessgreen.com/sponsored/2377516/footwear-industry-wakes-up-to-waste https://www.barrons.com/articles/two-thirds-of-north-americans-prefer-eco-friendly-brands-study-finds-51578661728
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