Lubrizol is promoting its portfolio of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) for performance footwear applications, highlighting advantages in terms of environmental sustainability. According to Lubrizol, its innovative advanced polymers enable the development a nearly 100 percent TPU shoe that is recyclable while still meeting performance requirements. Data from the U.S. Department of the Interior show that U.S. consumers throw away at least 300 million pairs of shoes every year, and these end up in landfills, where they can take 30 to 40 years to decompose. At the end of its wear cycle, Lubrizol explains, a 100 percent TPU shoe can be reground and reformed into a new shoe. Lubrizol, a Berkshire Hathaway company, was founded in 1928. Today the company has around 8,700 employees worldwide, with global headquarters in Wickliffe, Ohio.