Reebok clarifies ‘compostable’ shoe claim to sportstextiles
11/07/2017
The base is made from DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products’ Susterra, a propandiol derived from field corn.
However, many bio-based products are blended with other materials to add various properties.
Mr McInnis clarified to sportstextiles: “We started from the standpoint that the current state of the footwear industry is that almost all shoes are created from petroleum based plastics and end up in landfills when people are done with them. The shoes can last for hundreds of years in the landfills. With the Cotton & Corn initiative we made a commitment to change that.
“’Made from things that grow’ means that Cotton & Corn is a plant-based shoe comprised of organic cotton and a base originating from industrial grown corn (that’s the Susterra part).
“We’re still conducting lab testing for bio-based certification to get the exact numbers, but the base of the shoe does require some additional additives for cushioning and durability properties in addition to the Susterra material. So it’s fair to say that it’s almost entirely made from Susterra.
“There are some very specific legal guidelines for what can be called ‘bio-compostable’ or ‘bio-degradable’ and again we’re in the midst of testing on this as well so it’s premature to comment specifically. Until that’s complete, we can say our goal is for our product to return to soil (or compost) much, much faster than conventional shoes and we have a plan in place with partners to be part of that.”
He added that the ultimate goal is to offer a broad selection of bio-based footwear with no style or performance compromise that can be returned to soil after use.
See the latest edition of WSA, available online now, for a closer look at Reebok’s project.
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