The future of footwear is circularIn our current economy, we take resources from the Earth, make products from them and eventually throw most of these products away as waste. That can be described as a linear process. A circular process, on the contrary, aims to reduce waste to a minimum. The circular economy is defined as a model of production and consumption based on sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. In this way, the life cycle of products is extended.With the production of fashion items and footwear we should aim to use (and reuse) products as long as possible and to reduce waste to a minimum. Material sourcing plays a vital role in this matter. Are you ready to make your leather shoes circular?Choose ZeologyHow to create the circular shoe?Leather is a perfect fit in the circular economy. It is a natural and extremely durable material that can be repaired, re-used and recycled. A leather product also has the ability to composte and biodegrade back into nature at its end of life, when manufactured in a sustainable way without hazardous chemicals. With Zeology tanned leather, Nera is offering brands and designers just that: a durable and truly sustainable material that fits in a circular model, without compromising on leather performance.Zeology is the certified leather tanning agent that is proven free of hazardous chemicals and consists of circular chemistry. Examples of sustainable footwear made with Zeology LeatherLeather sports shoes as a fertilizer for your garden?A second life for your sport shoes, as a fertilizer for your garden. It can potentially help to diminish billions of kilograms of waste. In The Netherlands, waste processing company Ortessa is performing tests on the compostability and biodegradability of PUMA sneakers. The PUMA sneakers are made with Zeology suede leather.“We are trying to find a solution for something that the whole industry is struggling with: what do we do with the shoes at the end of their product life cycle?” – Stefan Seidel, PUMARead more Sports company PUMA has started to distribute 500 pairs of its experimental RE:SUEDE sneaker. PUMA’s global brand ambassadors, such as model, actress and activist Cara Delevingne, will also test the RE:SUEDE as part of this project.Image: Businesswire At Nera, we are glad to help you in the sourcing of circular leather and manufacturing of circular leather goods.Don’t hesitate to reach out.Contact usLearn more about ZeologyVisit the University of ZeologyAre you ready to make your footwear circular?Contact us
