Puma to make compostable footwear and apparel
German sportswear brand Puma is working to produce compostable trainers and t-shirts. CEO Franz Koch told German business magazine Wirtschaftswoche that the company is “confident that in the near future we will be able to bring the first shoes, t-shirts and bags, that are either compostable or recyclable, to the market.”
Mr Koch explained that the company was working with partners on developing products on the principle of the “cradle-to-cradle” design. “It follows two circuits, the technical and the biological: I can use old shoes to make new ones or something completely different, such as car tyres,” he said.
“In the biological cycle, I can make shoes and shirts that are compostable so I can shred them and bury them in the back garden. We are working on products that meet these two criteria.”
In 2010 the sportswear company revealed its five-year sustainability strategy with the unveiling of its Clever Little Bag, a reusable bag produced to replace shoeboxes and made from 65% less paper as well as having a reduced water, energy and diesel consumption.
