Sympatex CEO tells Italian sports shoe brands to prepare for sustainability storm
07/12/2017
Sympatex chief executive, Dr Rüdiger Fox, told brand representatives at the event that consumer knowledge is changing the role of sustainability in the footwear industry. Reports about waste, including plastic in the oceans, and about the scarcity of clean water access for communities in the developing world have become more prominent, and this is increasing public awareness, he said.
Dr Fox added: “I don’t want to make any moral assessment. We as a company are also part of the industry and leave a footprint. However, we should become aware of the thunderstorm that is brewing and which can and will force our industry – and others as well – into profound changes. The only question is when it will move in.”
He said Sympatex believes manufacturers need to assume responsibility for the consequences of their actions, but argued that taking this responsibility quickly and willingly will be one of the keys to success.
He said Sympatex is working hard to give its customers “reasonable” purchasing options, including, by 2020, its first 100% climate-neutral, PFC-free and PTFE-free.
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