Overview
PROBLEM
The environmental impact caused by the current production of more than 23.000 million pairs of shoes every year, whether due to the consumption of the colossal amounts of raw materials necessary to make them, or the thousands of tonnes of waste generated, is motivation enough to think again when designing a shoe. Prevailing manufacturing methods and the many components that footwear usually contains, make it impossible to recycle, due to the great complexity that separating the materials implies. Upon reaching the end of their lifecycle, they inevitably end up in a rubbish dump, generating a great amount of waste and making the materials used worthless. That is why we want to show that another model of footwear production is possible, optimising resources and raising awareness through our sustainable alternative
SOLUTION
REWEART PROJECT is footwear production project that is capable to produce sustainable goods based in a circular economy.
We are capable to design, produce and commercialize, from an eco- workshop, vegan shoes and accessories made from recycled and organic materials with 90% less of energy and almost ZERO waste.
Further, the main differentiation and greatest challenges that we faced is the implementation of RECYCLING as an essential requisite in all of our designs.
We want to offer a tool to the new generation of people which would avoid generate more waste within footwear consume and offer the footwear industry an alternative circular production model to reduce energy consume and stop with the destructive and unsustainable shoe production.
We have managed to create a shoe based on a circular economy, an economy that reflects the way nature works, where everything is useful and the concept of rubbish doesn’t exist.
This project is funded with the support of the European Union within the framework of the LIFE programme.
SOLUTION
REWEART PROJECT is footwear production project that is capable to produce sustainable goods based in a circular economy.
We are capable to design, produce and commercialize, from an eco- workshop, vegan shoes and accessories made from recycled and organic materials with 90% less of energy and almost ZERO waste.
Further, the main differentiation and greatest challenges that we faced is the implementation of RECYCLING as an essential requisite in all of our designs.
We want to offer a tool to the new generation of people which would avoid generate more waste within footwear consume and offer the footwear industry an alternative circular production model to reduce energy consume and stop with the destructive and unsustainable shoe production.
We have managed to create a shoe based on a circular economy, an economy that reflects the way nature works, where everything is useful and the concept of rubbish doesn’t exist.
This project is funded with the support of the European Union within the framework of the LIFE programme.
OBJECTIVES
CONCLUDE A SHOE PRODUCTION MODEL REPLICABLE TO THE CONVENTIONAL SHOE INDUSTRY
The specific Objectives are:
– To create a service-oriented framework to reduce the resource consumption, energy demand and waste generation of consumer goods;
– To improve industrial design and assembly methods to recycle and reuse more materials in footwear products;
– To develop methods to evaluate the recyclability, resource consumption, waste generation, and cost impact of footwear products;
– To develop practical “Eco-Design” decision-making applications to better inform consumers on the environmental impact of their purchases.
– To provide ICT tools to support manufacturers with advanced 3D configuration of their products; and
– To reach €15 million in sales by 2023 by demonstrating the benefits of the REWEART project to consumers and footwear brand owners.
MATERIALS
The selection of materials is given by different origins: organic, recycled and vegan. And in order to have a clear methodology when choosing one or the other, a matrix of parameters is taken into account that also includes the manufacturing process, performance and durability.
MATERIALS: origin, composition, origin, chemicals, energy consumption, environmental impact, harmfulness, animal free.
MANUFACTURING: Technique, design options, location, number of pairs per hour, waste, energy consumption
BENEFITS: Abrasion, flexibility, weight, resilience, compression, shock absorption, tearing, slipping, durability, finish…
RECYCLABILITY: Level, % of new sole, process, energy consumption, how to reuse
COSTS: Model, mould, collection, sole
MATERIALS
The selection of materials is given by different origins: organic, recycled and vegan. And in order to have a clear methodology when choosing one or the other, a matrix of parameters is taken into account that also includes the manufacturing process, performance and durability.
MATERIALS: origin, composition, origin, chemicals, energy consumption, environmental impact, harmfulness, animal free.
MANUFACTURING: Technique, design options, location, number of pairs per hour, waste, energy consumption
BENEFITS: Abrasion, flexibility, weight, resilience, compression, shock absorption, tearing, slipping, durability, finish…
RECYCLABILITY: Level, % of new sole, process, energy consumption, how to reuse
COSTS: Model, mould, collection, sole
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
– The actions proposed in the REWEART project are addressed to fulfill the objectives established in the European Union´s Environmental Policy.
– IT will contribute to the accomplishment of the priorities settled in the 2012 Call for LIFE + Environmental Policy and Governance.
– The project will also contribute to the implementation of EU commitments under UNFCCC Kyoto Protocol.
– It will contribute to the implementation of EU GHG emission reduction commitments in 2020 under the Climate and Energy Package.
– Specific to footwear REACH features will be considered as well as ECOLABEL.
– Circular economy in EU (COM/2018/029 final).
– Sustainable developments goals for EU (22.11.2016) COM (2016) 739 final.
– DIRECTIVES 2010/75/EU on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control), wastes (2008/98/CE) and water (2000/60/EC).