Scarpa, the Italian outdoor footwear specialist, has announced the launch of Re-Shoes, a recycling initiative backed by the European Union (EU). As the project leader, Scarpa will coordinate the efforts of a consortium of international companies that involve the recycling of end-of-life footwear reprocessed into new footwear.
The project, which will develop over a 42-month period, benefits from funding under the LIFE program, the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action. During the initial phase of the project, Scarpa will collect 15,000 pairs of used shoes of its Mojito model, a product in the urban outdoor segment, via the company’s distribution network in some areas of Italy, Germany and Austria. The collected footwear will then be recycled, leading to the production of as many pairs of new shoes that use between 50 and 70 percent of recycled material.
Scarpa’s partners on the project include Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, which will work on recycling and production design, environmental impact analysis and Life Cycle Assessment, as well as Sciarada Industria Conciaria, Rubber Conversion, Rubbermac.it, Innovando, and EPSI (European Platform for Sports and Innovation).
