Amsterdam-based Fashion for Good, a global initiative that aims to make “all fashion good”, announced that it has launched a pilot programme with brand partners Adidas, Inditex, Target, and Zalando, along with FastFeetGrinded, a footwear recycling innovator.
The initiative aims to test and validate an innovative footwear recycling process, promoting the use of recycled materials in footwear.
The goal is to drive the fashion industry towards a more circular and sustainable approach, reducing waste and environmental impact.
Katrin Ley, MD at Fashion for Good says, “This project will be a first in the footwear industry to allow us to understand the sustainable recycling technologies and infrastructures needed to accelerate the transition towards a circular future.”
“By fostering collaborative partnerships like this, where companies come together to share knowledge and validate innovation, we pave the way for scalable solutions,” adds Ley.
Making all fashion good
According to a statement from Fashion for Good, globally, 24 billion shoes are added to the market annually, with 90 per cent ending up in landfills or incinerated.
The Amsterdam-based company looks to tackle this challenge through its pilot programme.
The programme’s aim is to validate a footwear recycling process that deconstructs shoes into macro-components and grinds them into high-purity granulates for repurposed use, promoting the uptake of recycled materials in footwear production. And that process is carried out by FastFeetGrinded.
FastFeetGrinded claims it can use these granulates to produce output products like outsoles, midsoles, and flip-flops, showcasing the potential of footwear recycling technology for scalable solutions.
FastFeetGrinded is a key recycling innovator, supplying the industry with secondary raw materials to meet market demand and regulatory requirements for recycled content. They operate in a 4000-square-metre facility and plan to expand globally.
Danny Pormes, CEO of FastFeetGrinded says, “As a frontrunner in circular footwear, we will show the world the endless possibility with our raw material granulates.”
Brief about Fashion for Good
Founded in 2017, Fashion for Good is a global initiative focused on making fashion a force for good. The company collaborates with the fashion industry to drive innovation for sustainable solutions and promote behaviour change through its sustainable fashion museum.
The Fashion for Good Museum is an interactive fashion museum that highlights the stories behind clothes and promotes positive impacts on people and the planet.
Whereas, the company’s Innovation Platform connects sustainable innovators with brands, retailers, manufacturers, and funders, accelerating the adoption of sustainable ideas and technologies within the fashion industry.
