Align the industry pre-competitively to drive scale for footwear circularity
Uniting the footwear industry in a pre-competitive manner to establish shared practices, standards, and systems to end footwear waste. This requires a collaborative network and collective mindset among stakeholders to work together to adopt circularity principles in footwear production and consumption at scale.
Establish the communication network connecting key industry stakeholders.
Identify opportunities for collective action to drive efficiencies by assessing and establishing a baseline of current efforts.
Communicate the impact of a collective action for circular systems, engaging key internal stakeholders & leadership.
Facilitate data exchanges across the value chain to support informed, action oriented decision-making.
Define pathways to achieve circularity across product archetypes and establish measurable targets.
Define and align on circular economy taxonomy.
Scale responsible business models
Expand and implement sustainable business models within the footwear industry where resources are fully capitalized within the production cycle, and used in other industries or applications. Realize an affordable circular economy model through ethical practices promoting overall good business for the companies and the planet.
Demonstrate that a circular business model driven by collective action can drive profitability.
Identify strategies to include circular economy in GHG accounting.
Support and inform city, state and federal regulations and incentives to enhance the economic viability of a circular footwear system.
Localize production, materials sourcing, distribution, take-back programs, and recycling processes to enhance efficiency and overall impact.
Produce materials that excel in both performance and circularity
Develop materials for circularity that deliver high functionality and durability. Ensuring that materials used in manufacturing can be reused, recycled, or safely returned to the environment at the end of their lifecycle.
Establish material standards that maximize positive impact and reduce the amount of harmful substances.
De-risk material manufacturing innovation through collective validation.
Invest collectively to develop new materials manufacturing and processes at scale.
Establish a transparent database of material formulations to prevent the use of restricted substances across company-wide material applications.
Develop systems to collect and reclaim highest value from waste
Reducing the environmental impact of currently linear materials at local and global scales by creating and implementing processes and infrastructure to efficiently collect waste and maximize its value through reuse, recycling, or upcycling.
Identify end-of-life solution providers and pinpoint areas where intervention is needed to close existing gaps.
Develop collective product take-back programs and channels that reclaim highest value.
De-risk system innovation through collective validation.
Invest collectively to bring pre-processing, sortation and recycling technologies to scale.
Leverage/convert pre-existing infrastructure and networks to support circular economy.
Integrate circular consumption into consumer’s lifestyle
Drive adoption of circular consumer habits and behaviors by strategically marketing circular footwear and empowering consumers to make more sustainable choices apart from their everyday lives.
Understand current consumer mindsets and behaviors regarding footwear circularity.
Promote circular consumption by presenting circular products and business models as the preferred choice.
Prioritize circular solutions and strategies that align with consumer needs and attitudes to foster lasting behavior change.
Identify and refine the clearest, most effective ways to drive circular footwear adoption.
Accelerate mass-market consumer adoption and demand for circular footwear.
Create and scale secondary markets
Develop and expand platforms and systems for secondary markets that capitalize on the value of pre-owned, refurbished, or recycled products, enabling them to be bought, sold, exchanged, or used for repair and resale. These systems will enable material circulation across industries to ensure products maintain their value and extend their lifecycles while ultimately reducing waste.
Preserve the value of materials at end of life by identifying the best use cases for recycled materials.
Create strategies to drive product value within repair, resale, and reuse markets.
Establish secondary marketplace to purchase recycled and circular materials at their highest value.
Ensure effective material traceability and leverage economies of scale to drive material cost efficiencies.
Design for circularity
Develop guidance to create products with the intention to support a circular economy by keeping materials in circulation, at their highest value, for as long as possible, ensuring they remain within the economy or safely return to the environment at the end of their lifecycle.
Establish a common material language by defining characteristics related to aesthetics, functionality, and material recovery potential.
Establish circular design & material standards for footwear.
Develop collaborative tools and curriculums to educate designers and producers on the impact of their design decisions.
Empower stakeholders across the value chain to embrace durability practices, design for disassembly, and the use of innovative circular materials.
We welcome your voiceIf you have any comments for us on the current roadmap, please feel free to share. We are built on collaboration and growth.
leave no footprint.
