Vivobarefoot initiative aims to keep shoes from landfill
Shoe brand Vivobarefoot launched a returns ecommerce site, ReVivo, which encourages customers to return worn shoes that can be reconditioned and sold again.
It says this effort will keep shoes in circulation and out of landfill, claiming that of the 25 billion shoes that are produced every year, 90% of these will end up in landfill.
Vivobarefoot CEO Galahad Clark said: “No doubt, the elephant in the sustainable shoe room is end-of-life and the fact that nearly all shoes end up in landfill or, at best, get ground down into flooring material.
“The shoe industry makes shoes out of complicated different materials bonded together with a lot of petro-chemicals that will ultimately sit in landfill for a lot longer than the lives of the wearers!”
Once returned, shoes are cleaned and the repair process begins:
• Burst seams are re-stitched and over-locked to create a strong, lasting repair.
• Torn or weak areas are patched.
• Un-stuck seals and soles are re-bonded.
• Broken eyelets and lace hooks are carefully replaced.
• Damaged laces and insoles are replaced with new products, with the old insoles then recycled and used to repair other shoes.
• Thin or damaged soles are replaced with the old sole units being recycled and used as equestrian area bases.
• Packaging is replaced.
The shoes will be available to buy from the ReVivo website from July 20.
