BioShoes4All:Recycling is an art

 

­ ­ ­ Recycling is an art Global plastics production has increased significantly in recent years, reaching around 430 million tonnes in 2024. This figure reflects a steady increase since 1950, when production was around 2 million tonnes. READ MORE ­ 430 million tonnes of plastic produced in 2024 100%  circular. Lemon Jelly has teamed up with Balena Science to launch the world’s first 100% circular handbag last November. 20% plastics industry will be responsible for consuming 20% of the world’s oil by 2050, a significant increase from the current 7%. 80 Atlanta already developed materials and soles made of recycled thermoplastic rubber (SBS - styrene-butadiene-styrene) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), incorporating up to 80% and 98%, respectively, of internally recycled material. Th However, only 9% of this is recycled. There is still a long way to go. The consumption and production of plastics requires the use of large amounts of fossil fuels, which has a negative effect on the environment. To make matters worse, the decline in economic activity has led to a sharp fall in the global price of oil, making the production of plastics from virgin fossil materials significantly cheaper than the use of recycled plastics.    According to the European Environment Agency, if the production and use of plastics continues to grow as predicted, the plastics industry will be responsible for consuming 20% of the world’s oil by 2050, a significant increase from the current 7%. The ever-increasing amount of plastic, its impact on biodiversity and its contribution to climate change, as well as its integration into a circular economy, are all issues on the footwear and leather industry’s agenda. Against this backdrop, the footwear and leather goods industry is no stranger to climate change and sustainability issues. Particularly in recent years, many research and innovation projects and investments have been made by companies in the field of sustainability to develop new materials, products, processes, production technologies and business models. Bioshoes4All is researching and developing various approaches for the recycling and valorization of footwear waste (post-production and post-consumer). These include, among others, the recycling of thermoplastic and thermoset materials for shoe soles; the production of textile-based composite materials for footwear and leather goods; the development of composites for insoles and soles; and the development of non-woven materials and construction materials, incorporating footwear waste. The project is also studying the implementation of a collection model for post-consumer injected footwear, with a view to its reprocessing and production of new footwear products. As part of the Bioshoes4all project, ‘Innovation and empowerment of the footwear sector for sustainable bioeconomy,’ coordinated by APICCAPS and the Footwear Technology Center of Portugal, and supported by the PRR (Recovery and Resilience Plan), recycling is one of the main priorities. By the end of the year, a new generation of products will be completed. ­ ­ ­ ­ © Portuguese Shoes · All rights reserved