OrthoLite goes greener
05/06/2009
OrthoLite, a leading supplier of open cell foam insoles in the performance footwear category, has announced the launch of its first bio-based offering. Eco Series OrthoLite responds to an increasing demand for environmentally conscious consumer products.
OrthoLite also announces the opening of a new company-owned factory dedicated to manufacturing the Eco Series formulation. The brand has argued that this new facility, as well as the research and development effort dedicated to product expansion, underscores its commitment to innovation and industry leadership.
OrthoLite Eco Series uses a bio-oil, from a non-food source, as a substitute for traditional fossil fuel-based raw materials. The bio-oil will replace 20% of the petroleum traditionally used in urethane foams, making the formula part of a clean, renewable resource and reducing the company’s carbon footprint.
“OrthoLite Eco Series is pushing the boundaries of environmentally conscious footwear technology,” said Glenn Barrett, OrthoLite’s chief executive officer. “Eco Series bio-based foam is safer for the environment than recycled foam and does not sacrifice the comfort or performance of the insole.”
Eco Series will offer all the key properties of OrthoLite open cell foams, including breathability, moisture transport and a patented anti-microbial formulation to fight fungus, bacteria and odour. The product is now available to footwear designers and manufacturers.
OrthoLite says it has researched the many methods of creating a recycled insole and found, at this time, there are limited technologies that create a recycled foam product without causing other harmful effects to the environment or severely sacrificing performance.
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