Sympatex sets its sights on replacing PU foam
18/02/2019
In this new range, PU foams, which are commonly used in the lining of the laminate materials used in many walking shoes and boots, are completely replaced by a fleece-like compound made from recycled clothing fibres.
This, Sympatex has said, will feed valuable raw materials back into the textile loop while lowering carbon emissions. There is a potential performance boost, too, because this new idea can also make the laminate material more breathable.
Using conventional manufacturing technologies, 800 kilos of CO2 are released for every 1,000 metres of PU foam, enough for around 50 pairs of shoes. Replacing the foam reduces emissions by around 15%, Sympatex has said, while water consumption falls by roughly one-third.
In the build-up to Lineapelle, the company’s chief executive, Dr Rüdiger Fox, said: “We encourage the market to resort to these solutions in order to prepare for an unavoidable future in which there will be clear limits placed on the current over-exploitation of our resources.”
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