Bioplastics and the footwear sector: something is moving

Many luxury and fast fashion brands are converting their production to a more ecological approach to limit their environmental impact and meet the growing demand from consumer groups to choose eco-friendly products. The footwear industry is also trying to intercept and measure itself against these trends to transform them into new processes and business models in which to incorporate a more sustainable activity.

In the footwear sector, the use of biopolymers to replace traditional plastics for the production of soles, midsoles, heels, buckles and uppers is constantly increasing. In recent times, innovative cross-linkable and expandable polymers have been developed that can also be used in the production of footwear, allowing the creation of lightweight objects with excellent physical-mechanical characteristics. The new materials on the market ensure high performance and can be used in the same conditions as products of fossil origin, without having to change or modify the processing plants and maintaining the possibility of adding masterbatches of various types (colorants, blowing agents, antistatic agents, etc.). In this field, Italian chemical companies are the leaders of this industrial experimentation.

Let’s see together what are the new biopolymers recently released on the market.

In bioplastic Apilon 52 Bio, produced by the company Api, the content of renewable raw materials reaches 70%, promising to maintain the same characteristics and quality standards of traditional TPU derived from synthetic sources. Derived from sugar cane, exposed to air or immersed in water this material maintains the same durability, resistance to abrasion and traction and the same softness of the plastic normally used for the production of soles. The biodegradability process begins in composting conditions: in the pulper, underground, in landfills of undifferentiated waste, conditions thanks to which it begins to degrade and transforms into carbon dioxide, water (or methane), mineral salts and biomass, by microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and algae. With the Apinat bio for Puma project, the soles of the Puma In Cycle “Basket” sneaker were created.

The line Laripur RS from Coim includes a range of thermoplastic polyurethanes that contain a high percentage of raw materials from renewable sources of plant origin, and that allow to cover all the traditional applications of TPU – from footwear to sports and technical articles.

The Ecopower by Tecnofilm is a patented material made with vegetable oils, designed for the footwear sector and for the production of technical articles, which offers prestions comparable to those of traditional thermoplastic elastomers.

If you are interested in the production of eco-sustainable shoe soles, contact us for more information or a free consultation.