Recently, sporting goods company PUMA began distributing 500 pairs of experimental RE:SUEDE sneakers to participants in Germany to test their biodegradability.
Using the latest technology, the RE:SUEDE sneakers will be made from more sustainable materials such as tanned suede with Zeology technology, biodegradable thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and hemp fibers.
During the six-month period when participants wore RE:SUEDE, products using biodegradable materials were tested for real-life durability before being returned to Puma through a recycling infrastructure designed to allow the product Proceed to the next step of the experiment.
The sneakers will then undergo industrial biodegradation in a controlled environment at Valor Compostering B.V., which is part of Ortessa Groep B.V., a Dutch family-owned business made up of waste disposal experts. The purpose of this step was to determine whether grade A compost could be produced from discarded sneakers for use in agriculture. The results of the experiments will help Puma evaluate this biodegradation process and provide insights into research and development critical to the future of sustainable footwear consumption.
Heiko Desens, Global Creative Director at Puma, said: “We are very excited that we have received several times the number of applications for our RE:SUEDE sneakers than we can offer, which shows that there is a great deal of interest in the topic of sustainability. As part of the experiment, we will also collect feedback from participants about the comfort and durability of the sneaker. If the experiment is successful, this feedback will help us design future versions of the sneaker.”
The RE:SUEDE experiment is the first project launched by Puma Circular Lab. The Circular Lab serves as Puma’s innovation hub, bringing together sustainability and design experts from Puma’s circularity program.
The recently launched RE:JERSEY project is also part of the Circular Lab, where Puma is experimenting with an innovative garment recycling process. (The RE:JERSEY project will use football shirts as the main raw material for the production of recycled nylon, aiming to reduce waste and lay the foundation for more circular production models in the future.)
Post time: Aug-30-2022