No raw materials are wasted in a circular economy. All products are designed so that the components or raw materials that make up a product can be reused time and again – in either the same or other products. The quality and value are retained and, accordingly, there is no waste. This future is now a step closer for work and safety shoes.
An alliance against waste and for sustainability.
In order to make an impact we will have to achieve scale. That’s why EMMA Safety Footwear, Allshoes Safety Footwear and FBBasic decided to team up.
The Circular Footwear Alliance (CFA) is a unique collaboration, if only for the fact that EMMA Safety Footwear and Allshoes Safety Footwear are competitors! They have joined forces within the CFA for a greater purpose: helping build a sustainable future and circular system for work and safety shoes.
Creating the required scale together
Sufficient scale is necessary to make a circular system work in practice. Joining forces allows EMMA and Allshoes to recycle as many raw materials as possible and truly make a positive impact. EMMA en Allshoes work together with ‘urban mining’ specialist FBBasic within the CFA in order to optimally organise the identification, return logistics, disassembly and recycling of materials.
Why a cooperative?
Knowledge and resource sharing are front and centre within the Circular Footwear Alliance. A cooperative is a practical form of collaboration in this case because it assumes members who have the same goal. It is also easy for new members to join, and that’s precisely the intent. The Circular Footwear Alliance believes in broad collaboration. In 2020 the CFA hopes to further improve operations and amass knowledge and experience. This will be followed by the express invitation to other manufacturers and producers who have also opted for the circular path to participate in the alliance.
Development and perseverance
The cooperative is not only a development and knowledge platform but an implementing organisation as well. In 2020 collection points will be created at hundreds of companies where shoes by EMMA and Allshoes are worn or bought; from freelance professionals to large enterprises and multinationals. The goal, within several years, is to collect two million safety shoes annually and disassemble them for reuse.