All CSR & Sustainability articles
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ArticleBoohoo to rebrand as Debenhams in bid to arrest sales slump
Boohoo is rebranding as Debenhams Group as part of new Chief Executive Dan Finley’s plans to turn around the fortunes of the British online fast fashion amid an ongoing tough trading environment. Boohoo said Debenhams, which it bought out of administration after its collapse in 2021, was now growing rapidly ...
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News briefs
DSW has donated 11 million pairs of shoes to Soles4Souls
Soles4Souls, the US organization committed to turning shoes and clothing into new opportunities around the world, has reached a donation milestone of 11 million pairs of shoes through its partnership with Designer Brands, the parent company of DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse. DSW began its partnership with Soles4Souls in 2006. The ...
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Allbirds launches a net zero carbon shoe
On Feb. 6, Allbirds launched M0.0NSHOT Zero, which the Californian brand claims to be the world’s first net zero carbon shoe. A limited edition run of 500 pairs is available to buy in select cities including New York, London, Dubai, Tokyo and Seoul. “M0.0NSHOT Zero is the ultimate pursuit ...
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Stella McCartney launches a sneaker with Balena
The British fashion designer Stella McCartney is launching a sneaker collection in collaboration with Balena, a Tel Aviv-based circular economy startup founded in 2020. The S-Wave Sport sneaker will use Balena’s BioCir flex, a flexible, fully compostable and recyclable thermoplastic elastomer that reduces toxic, fossil fuel-based materials commonly used in ...
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ArticleOnline spending up sharply among young Germans
Young German consumers are spending significantly more online, with influencers shaping their choices more and more, and social shopping likely to remain a key driver of online retail growth, according to a survey conducted by Postbank among 1,000 young people between the ages of 16 and 18. In the ...
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ArticleCirql unveils a new biodegradable midsole technology
At ISPO Munich 2024, held from Dec. 3 to 5, Cirql, the subsidiary of OrthoLite, unveiled its latest material innovation: Cirql Zero, an industrially compostable and biodegradable foam designed for midsole components. Alongside its recyclable Cirql rTPU30 midsole, Cirql is providing footwear brands with comprehensive solutions that address the entire ...
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News briefsDow launches low-carbon material solutions for the footwear industry
Dow launched a portfolio of low-carbon material solutions which it claims can help the footwear industry “develop more sustainable products which offer the same high-performance results.” The upgraded portfolio consists of bio-circular* materials attributed under a mass balance approach, reversible cross-linking resins, post-consumer recycled resins and polyolefin elastomers for artificial ...
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ArticleMount to Coast and BASF collaborate to produce a midsole
Mount to Coast, a Hong Kong brand specializing in ultrarunning and long-distance shoes, entered a partnership with BASF to explore high-performance, sustainable solutions for runners. CircleCELL, a midsole, is the first footwear technology produced by the collaboration. Based on BASF’s new biopolymer ecoflex BMB, the midsole is 90 percent more ...
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News briefs
HDS/L launches circular economy project
The German footwear and leather goods trade association, HDS/L, has launched a circular economy project to guide and assist the industry as it faces the challenge of transforming its production model. The ‘Circular Economy in the Footwear Industry. Creating Cycles. Securing the Future’ project aims to develop viable strategies and ...
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Mec Europa launches a training academy
Mec Europa Due, an Italian producer of luxury footwear based at Verolanuova, south of the town of Brescia, inaugurated a training academy called l’Accademia delle Arti e dei Mestieri. The academy will provide theoretical and on-the-job training. “The initiative is aimed at preparing new employees and younger workers to ...
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ArticleFirst Italian shoemaker obtains VCS sustainability certification
Corrado Maretto is the first Italian company to have obtained an environmental, social and governance (ESG) certification under the VCS (Verified & Certified Steps) program launched by Assocalzaturifici, the Italian footwear association. The company engaged in a self-assessment of its ESG performance using a software package designed by Spin360, a ...
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ArticleSteve’s seeks to raise up to €300,000 in crowd funding
Steve’s, an Italian producer of sustainable premium sneakers, is seeking to raise between €100,000 and €300,000 in a crowdfunding campaign through the Mamacrowd platform. Founded in 2022 in Turin by Giulia Gandini and Filippo Gandini, Steve’s produces sneakers made from Appleskin, a material produced from the skins and cores of ...
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News briefs
Italian regulator probes Shein for allegedly misleading sustainability claims
The Italian antitrust agency, AGCM, has launched an investigation into Infinite Styles Services CO. Limited, a Dublin-based company that manages the Italian website of the Chinese fast fashion group Shein, for allegedly misleading information regarding the “environmental sustainability” of the retailer’s clothing. The agency believes that some content included in ...
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ArticleAgra’s footwear cluster produces 45 tonnes of waste daily
The Indian city of Agra generates 45 tonnes of footwear waste every day, according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) which has put forward a string of recommendations to improve waste management especially among informal shoe manufacturers. Agra is home to the Taj Mahal, and as ...
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ANWR and Sabu present an education platform for the shoe industry
The German footwear buying group ANWR and the German shoe retail cooperative Sabu have launched their first joint project, the “Wissenswelt” (Knowledge World) platform. The online platform offers training resources for staff across more than 4,500 points of sale in the shoe industry, with a strong emphasis on video-based ...
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ArticleYulex launches a new high performance natural rubber
The US company Yulex launched Yulex2.0, a new high performance natural rubber material proposed as an alternative to neoprene. The product has applications across a range of products including footwear as well as wetsuits, sportswear, sports equipment, sports medicine and accessories. Jeff Martin, the founder of Julex said “we saw ...
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ArticleSecond hand reselling enjoys booming popularity in Russia
The Russian fashion market has witnessed a staggering 30 percent surge in the sale of secondhand goods in 2023, a trend that is rapidly gaining momentum, as estimated by the Moscow-based think tank, Fashion Consulting Group. Last year, the segment was valued at 200 billion rubles (€2bn), which was equivalent ...
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News briefs
Designer Brands launches the Designer Brands Foundation
Designer Brands launched the Designer Brands Foundation whose purpose is “to advance the empowerment of individuals by removing barriers and helping them put their best foot forward.” It added that “notable contributions” have already been made through the foundation, including a $50,000 donation from the DSW Foundation, which is part ...
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Celanese introduces a new biobased foam polymer for athletic footwear
Celanese has presented a new biobased foam polymer called HytrelTPC RS40F2, which, when foamed, is “ideal” for athletic footwear applications. According to the US specialty materials and chemical company, the “pristine white foamed biobased Hytrel TPC RS40F2 is well-suited to the midsole components of athletic footwear as it delivers lightweighting ...
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News briefs
Soles4Souls launches a national campaign in the US
Soles4Souls, a US nonprofit organization, launched on July 24 its first national campaign urging Americans to donate shoes and apparel “that can open the doors of opportunity for millions of people.” “In a world where access to basic necessities like shoes and clothing can determine one’s future, Soles4Souls is stepping ...
