New version of Texon heel counter has enhanced eco credentials
Materials solutions developer for the footwear industry Texon has launched a new version of its Reform heel-counter.
It said the new product, Reform 2.0, was part of a commitment to reducing its use of virgin materials; it offers the same physical performance as its predecessor, but contains up to 66% “sustainably sourced content”, the company said.
It added that content from post-industrial cutting waste and recycled fibres from ocean-bound, post-consumer plastic bottles represented examples of this more sustainable content. Texon estimated that for each million pairs of shoes in which manufacturers use Reform 2.0, more than 500,000 bottles will be diverted from landfill.
In addition, the new version’s hot-melt adhesive layer contains 45% bio-based content derived from pine tree resin, the materials developer said.
Group sales director, Bryan Whitfield, said the new version of Reform would build on the legacy of the original product, which launched in 1998. “Providing the footwear industry with a component that they know and trust, but with even better eco credentials, shows us innovating to deliver on our own sustainability goals and those of our customers,” he said.
Events in early 2022 at which Texon intends to show the new version of the heel counter include IILF in Chennai (February 1-3), the North West Materials Show in Portland (February 16-17), Lineapelle in Milan (February 22-24) and the North East Materials Show in Boston (February 22-23).
