Lots of people coming into the store seem to be telling us they are increasingly concerned about the environmental implications of the things they buy.
For years, Sally has been trying to include products that actively reduce their environmental footprint. Companies like El Naturalista (yes I know I’ve raved about them before) use natural dyes to avoid the damage done by traditional tanning methods. Other shoes like Groundhog, go even further by using a range of natural materials. The footwear uses material made from bamboo charcoal. The buttons, buckles and ornaments are made from coconut shells and wood tree resins. The outsoles are made from crepe rubber, which is a natural product that comes from the sap of Lactae Meva rubber tree. All the packaging is from recycled fibres and is unbleached.
The very popular Birkenstock are another company that are committed to sustainable production- and they are quick to point out that they aren’t newcomers jumping on the green bandwagon. They’ve been around for 230 years and really know what they are doing. Here’s why Birkenstocks are light on the environment (with thanks to the Birkenstock website for this information)
Birkenstock footbed components
Cork, latex and jute are some of the few sustainable raw materials used/available in the footwear industry. Of these components, cork is actually really cool stuff. Did you know?
- Cork trees hold the ground water and provide cover and shade for smaller plants and animals and therefore are an important basis for traditional agricultural and farming economies.
- Cork is a valuable natural resource with many uses.The bark can be peeled away and it will grow back.
- Today every part of the cork harvest is put to use. Leftovers from the bottle cork stamping process are ground down in various sizes and then sorted by quality.
- Birkenstock ground cork comes from the first quality by-products of the wine industry.
Low waste production
There is little waste from the production processes:
- Cork latex mixture (the main component of the Birkenstock footbed) is made in small batches to minimize any waste. Any excess is recycled.
- Scrap leather is used in the production of other materials, such as an alternative footbed liner material called LEFA.
- Left-over EVA from the sole production process is broken down and further processed for use in children’s playgrounds, sport fields and sound barriers along freeways.
- Three large heat recovery systems recover the heat produced and use it to dry the cork footbeds, doubling the energy efficiency of the machinery.
Recycled materials
Birkenstock footwear is packaged in boxes made of 90% recycled paper and printed with inks that are environmentally friendly.
Birkenstock manufacturing and production must comply with stringent recycling and waste laws in Germany where the manufacturer is responsible for all the packaging components and their recyclability.
Birkenstock Repair
You can repair your Birkenstock footwear — what a great concept in an age of disposable everything, including cheap shoes that clutter our closets or end up in garbage and then landfill!
[...] many of you who follow this blog already know, we love to support shoes that are both ethical and sustainable so we were delighted to lend Sinerji some of our El Naturalistas for their recent fashion [...]
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