Purchase eco-friendly shoes
Why This is Green
You may not have considered what’s on your feet, but the shoe industry has a sizable eco-footprint (pun intended)—from manufacture to disposal.
Shoes are resource intensive to produce. Most contain harmful glues and synthetic, petroleum-derived materials, ranging from polyurethane to PVC. These can all pollute the air during production.
When it comes to leather, tanning creates pollution as well as toxic waste. Tanneries can use harmful substances such as formaldehyde, hexavalent chromium, and cyanide-based dyes. And the animals the skins come from are rarely raised sustainably. Other skins may come from exotic and even endangered species.
At the end of their useful life, most footwear isn’t recycled or disposed of properly. Most wind up in landfills where they take years to decompose.
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How To
What constitutes an eco-friendly shoe varies widely. Vegan and/or vegetarian shoes have lower eco-impact because they’re not made from leather. They tend to be made of biodegradable (canvas, hemp, and even organic cotton) and/or recycled materials (PVC, rubber). Though PVC is widely referred to in environmental circles as the poison plastic, reusing it prevents it from going to landfills and more of it from being manufactured.
Natural latex shoes aren’t petroleum derived. They are made from rubber trees that are tapped—not cut down--to make the rubber. Pretty eco.
If you prefer leather, seek out shoes from manufacturers touting eco-friendlier processing like vegetable tanning, which is less toxic than the alternative. These shoes generally can be recycled at the end of their life. Always ask questions when shopping.
