Fight Against Waste with Shoes Made from Recycled Plastic

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According to Wichita State University, over 300 million shoes are shown away each year. This is a devastating fact considering it takes almost 40 years for a single shoe to decompose. With the footwear industry being so extremely wasteful, you might be wondering what you can do to avoid being part of the problem. I am here to tell you there are some incredible companies upcycling plastic that would otherwise go to waste. And they are turning it into something important and functional. Yes, I am talking about shoes, shoes made from recycled plastic.

You can reduce your carbon footprint with your actual feet. No seriously, the shoes you decide to put on your feet can greatly impact your carbon emissions. Plastic waste doesn’t just come from plastic water bottles or plastic bags, it comes from our clothing and shoes too.

Shoes Made of Plastic

Plastic shoes aren’t exactly as they sound. To me they sound cheap and disposable. But not these shoes. These brands have perfected the idea of transforming a used plastic bottle and turning it into something incredibly durable and practical.

By making a conscious effort to support sustainable products like these, you can really make a significant difference.

Companies that use recycled materials as opposed to new materials (and toxic chemicals) lessen the need for fossil fuels and decrease the amount of ocean plastic.

Let’s talk about how these companies are improving the shoe industry with plastic shoes in an effort to support a circular economy.

Here are my top choices for shoes made from recycled plastic

(and other recycled materials)

Dooey’s is a brand designed in Amsterdam and produced in Portugal. These are the perfect house shoe for any indoor occasion. Dooey’s provide actual foot support for when you are doing your daily chores or hosting a dinner party. They combine comfort and style.

These sustainable shoes are made from eco-friendly materials such as recycled plastic bottles, recycled polyester, organic cotton, and recycled natural rubber. They even use renewable materials such as sugarcane to replace petroleum-based material found in traditional shoes.

The next shoes made from recycled plastic are from a brand called Thousand Fell. You’d be impressed by the amount of natural materials, that go into making these shoes. Palm Leaf, Sugar Cane, Coconut Husk. These items are used as a way to combat food waste in Brazil. They also make a great pair of shoes.

Thousand Fell has been able to convert plastic bottles into necessary parts of the shoe like leather-like uppers, mesh liners + next generation laces. Plus quartz is used as a water-resistant top layer that will keep your shoes lasting a long time.

Grounded People is yet another kind of shoes made from recycled plastic, specifically “recycled raw materials that don’t require any dyes or chemicals“.

This brand is striving to change the fashion industry with their 100% vegan factory, fair wages, and Retraced program. This program gives buyers the ability to see exactly the process the shoe went through to become a shoe. The creation, manufacturing process, the packaging, its all spelled out for you in their Retrace program. This is truly like nothing I’ve seen before. Documenting each of every step of the supply chain and it’s impact on the environment.

Swap your old shoes with a pair from Suavs. Suavs recycled shoes are combating the world’s plastic pollution problem as they’ve saved over one million single-use plastic bottles from the landfill. They use these sustainable materials not only because it helps with the world’s waste, but because it is breathable, ultra soft, and can be easily cleaned in the washing machine (once you remove the shoe soles).

Next time you are in the market for new shoes, consider STEPPING in the right direction and choosing shoes made from recycled plastic. These shoes are saving tons of greenhouse gases, natural resources, and waste that would otherwise end up in the landfill. Choose circular fashion and choose sustainable shoe brands!