Choose shoes made out of recycled plastic
In today's fast paced world, we're constantly on our feet. But with shoe companies producing billions of new pairs every year, the constant creation of new materials isn't great for the environment. So some brands are turning to a different resource that's both stylish and sustainable: ocean plastic.
Footware production worldwide reached 24.2 billion pairs in 2018.
SourceBenefits
- Gives a second-life to single-use plastic bottles
- Reduces the use of virgin materials in manufacturing
- Demonstrates that ocean plastic can be used in fashion and performance contexts
- Shows that there is a demand from consumers for ocean-plastic products
Challenges
- Once the plastic has been turned into a new product, it is very difficult to recycle for a third time
- Buying recycled plastic products is better than buying virgin plastic, but it does not necessarily impact our throwaway culture
- Lots of energy is needed to melt ocean plastics into pellets to then be spun into polyester yarn.
Making a difference
By blending their signature thread spun from water bottles with marine plastic collected within 30 miles of coastlines and marine environments, Rothy's has recycled 58,677,516 plastic water bottles—and counting.