Keeping up with trends, an increase in consumption in recent years, and the concept of fast fashion, are crucial factors that lead to us collecting large amounts of clothing… and footwear!

It may seem surprising but have you ever stopped to think about how many pairs of shoes you have in your wardrobe? We tend to accumulate footwear, even pairs we don’t use anymore because they aren’t comfortable, they aren’t in fashion, or they are not in the best condition.

Today we are going to talk about the process of recycling footwear and how we can contribute so that the pieces are not thrown away in an incorrect or uncontrolled manner.

 

Is footwear normally recycled?

The clothing and footwear industry is one of the most harmful industries as it uses too many resources, and is only topped by the oil industry. Every year more than 15 tonnes of clothing and footwear end up burnt in landfills or at the bottom of the sea.

At the moment recycling footwear is complicated, because in the manufacturing process neither the environmental impact nor the product’s lifespan are taken into account. Luckily some companies are changing and have started talking about “ecodesign”.

 

What is ecodesign?

It’s very simple, ecodesign incorporates environmental factors into the development of a product. In doing so they intend on minimising the impact on the environment as much as possible from the beginning of the manufacturing process until the end of the lifespan of a product.

By designing in a sustainable way, the recycling process is guaranteed to be more simple and efficient, ensuring materials can be reused.

 

How can I recycle footwear?

Here we are going to show you how to get rid of old shoes you don’t use any more, in a correct and eco friendly way:

 

Reusing footwear:

Based on the 3 R’s of recycling (reduce, reuse and recycle), if you have decided to get rid of a pair of shoes the first thing you need to ask yourself is if you could reuse them.

You could give them away, donate them or even sell them through second hand shops. This would be the best option to give your shoes a second lease of life.

You could also consider turning them into other interesting objects for example: making a plant pot out of boots, a book stop, or other decorative objects. Use your imagination!

 

Recycling footwear:

In case you can’t reuse your shoes or you still want to get rid of them, you will have to deposit them in the correct bin, which is the clothing bin. From there the shoes are sent to second hand shops, or sold to recycling or export companies.

If you use a different bin, your shoes won’t be classified correctly and they will end up burnt or in landfills.

 

Reducing footwear consumption:

It is very important that we consume in a conscious way and are not misled by marketing or consumerism.

If we want to reduce our consumption of footwear we will have to choose brands that use ecodesigns, and offer a high quality and long lasting product that is comfortable and won’t go out of fashion.

Some footwear and fashion brands are also choosing to improve and take care of the recycling process of their products, which is the case of D13C STUDIO.

 

Find your sustainable footwear

At D13C Studio we are committed to sustainability and looking after the planet without forfeiting style or comfort. We offer footwear that is vegan, designer, high quality and long lasting, made from recycled materials that are respectful to the environment.

Once the life cycle of our products comes to an end we take care of a correct recycling process, and offer the customer a voucher for their next purchase.