CSR & Sustainability
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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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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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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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ArticleItalian shoemakers agree on a new labor contract
Assocalzaturifici, which represents the Italian footwear industry, and the trade unions Filctem - CGIL, Femca - Cisl and Uiltec - Uil signed on July 17 a new nationwide collective labor agreement. The contract is effective from Jan. 1, 2024 and will last until Dec. 31, 2026. The previous contract expired ...
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ArticleCompostable sneakers are inching closer to the mass market
In late April, Puma announced that it would make a commercial version of its Re:Suede 2.0 compostable sneaker. The brand had created 500 pairs of its Re:Suede sneaker in 2021 as an experimental project, then asked volunteers to wear them for half a year to test comfort and durability. Now, ...
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ArticleCrocs extends its shoe takeback program to whole of continental US
Crocs has extended its “Old Crocs. New Life” shoe takeback program to the whole of continental US. All Crocs retail and outlet locations in the country, excluding Hawaii and Puerto Rico, are now equipped with designated collection boxes to drop off Crocs shoes in any condition. Anyone with used Crocs ...
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ArticleCirql launches a fully recyclable midsole made from 30% recycled TPU
The US-based insole specialist OrthoLite, the company behind Cirql, a provider of sustainable material solutions for the global footwear industry, has launched a new midsole foam called Cirql rTPU30. According to Cirql, the patented innovation consists of 30 percent recycled thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material and is manufactured through a chemical-free, ...
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ArticleH&M and Inditex accused of allegedly using unethical Brazilian cotton
The British non-governmental organization (NGO) Earthsight is accusing H&M and Inditex of allegedly using cotton “linked to land grabbing, illegal deforestation, violence, human rights violations and corruption in Brazil.” It is also calling on governments to regulate the fashion industry on the grounds that it has failed to ensure sustainability ...
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ArticleNovoloop’s pilot plant for recycled plastic comes on stream in India
Novoloop, a US plastic circular economy technology company, announced the startup of its pilot plant in Surat, India. The plant was built in collaboration with Aether Industries, an Indian speciality chemical manufacturer. Groundbreak for the plant was announced in January 2024 and construction completed in March 2024. The pilot plant ...
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ArticleHyosung to build a bio-BDO factory in Vietnam as part of a $1bn investment plan
Hyosung TNC plans to build a bio-butanediol (BDO) factory in Vietnam with an annual production capacity of 50,000 tons. The project is part of a $1 billion investment program to reach an annual output of 200,000 tons of bio-BDO. On March 30, Hyosung TNC received approval for the “Hyosung BDO ...
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ArticleKeen introduces a hiking shoe with a lifetime guarantee regarding delamination
Keen introduced the Targhee IV, which it claims is the first shoe in the industry to have a delamination-free lifetime guarantee. Targhee IV is “a boot made to be the last hiking shoe you buy,” the US brand said in a statement. Delamination is when the glue used to adhere ...
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ArticleAsos, Boohoo, George at Asda commit to green claim rules in the UK
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said that Asos, Boohoo and George at Asda have signed undertakings that commit them to an agreed set of rules around the use of green claims. The regulator also issued an open letter urging fashion retailers to review their claims and practices in ...
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ArticleTempe to build a new distribution center in Valencia region
Tempe, the footwear unit of Inditex, will build a new 141,000 square-meter distribution center in the Valencia region. The announcement was made by Inditex which plans to invest €900 million a year in 2024 and 2025 to increase its logistics capacity. The other projects include a new 286,000 square-meter distribution ...
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ArticleFrance’s proposal against fast fashion
The administration of French President Emmanuel Macron, founder of the Renaissance party, will support a law proposed by an opposition party to penalize fast fashion. The text in question is no. 2268, “aiming to render fast-fashion out of fashion, thanks to a system of incentives and penalties.” Its proponent is ...
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ArticleHow a French startup helps to manage unsold stocks
The clearance of unsold stock is a financial and environmental conundrum for manufacturers and retailers and the issue is likely to become more acute in the current poor business environment and amid growing pressure to avoid waste and promote a circular economy. Data by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. ...
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ArticleFor Ever to produce compostable soles with Balena’s technology
For Ever, a Portuguese sole brand created in 1973, is joining forces with Balena to produce compostable soles. Balena is a circular economy startup founded in 2020 and located in Tel Aviv. The collaboration, unveiled on Feb. 20 during the Milan-based trade show Lineapelle, will combine For Ever’s mold injection ...
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ArticleLenzing, Recyc Leather launch Pélinova with Ganni’s Slouchy Boots
Lenzing, an Austrian producer of wood-based specialty fibers, has partnered with Recyc Leather, a leather alternative expert, to introduce Pélinova, an innovative material that fuses Lenzing’s Tencel Lyocell fibers and recycled leather fibers for high-end fashion applications. The duo joined forces with the Danish brand Ganni to bring the material ...
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ArticleDestruction of new shoes is an absolute exception in Germany
The destruction of new apparel and footwear is the absolute exception and new items only make up a small fraction of the goods sent to the landfill, according to Germany’s textile, shoes and leather goods trade association, BTE. The remarks followed the European Union’s steps in early December of ...
