Technology helps the footwear industry meet the challenge of recycling more efficiently and effectively

Technology helps the footwear industry meet the challenge of recycling more efficiently and effectively

OTHER MATERIALS RECYCLING, SECTORS RECYCLING, TEXTILE RECYCLING

Technology helps the footwear industry meet the challenge of recycling more efficiently and effectively

Every year, millions of pairs of shoes, trainers, boots, ankle boots, flip-flops, sandals, slippers… Although footwear production in Spain fell by 16.5% in 2023 compared to the previous year, no less than 83 million pairs of shoes were produced! The bad news is that only 5% were recycled. These are the figures from the Spanish Confederation of the Footwear Industry (FICE).

And this challenge facing the industry is made even more urgent by legal imperatives. On the one hand, the Circular Economy Law 7/2022 establishes that manufacturers must take responsibility for managing their products when they become waste. They will have three years to implement it from its entry into force in April 2025. Moreover, they must prepare to comply with the future Waste Framework Directive, which includes the obligation to separate collection of textile waste in municipalities by 1 January 2025.

In addition to regulations, there is pressure from a public increasingly aware of the industry’s impact on nature, forcing footwear brands to meet the expectations of consumers who are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of their purchases. For all these reasons, the industry is forced to rapidly implement a strategy aimed at strengthening its sorting, reuse, repair and recycling capacities within the European Union.

Recycling is not easy

We consume a wide variety of footwear made of different materials: leather, rubber, plastic, fabric, fibre, wood… This diversity increases the difficulty of recycling footwear at the end of its useful life. It is estimated that 15% of footwear can be repaired for re-use, while 75% can be recycled to obtain raw materials that can be used in manufacturing processes for new footwear or other products. However, only 20% of the materials used to make shoes are recycled.

Using old shoes to make new materials is an excellent way to help the planet. In the recycling process, shoes are sorted according to their condition and type of material. First, they have to be dismantled – soles, uppers, insoles, laces, etc. – to separate the parts that can be reused. Then the materials have to be separated: leather, rubber, textiles, fibres, plastics… Everything is recyclable, so these materials can be used to make new components for various products, including new footwear.

Embracing Industry 5.0

In tune with the Circular Economy ideology, the footwear industry can already find on the market cutting-edge technological solutions designed to reuse most of the components of footwear when it reaches the end of its useful life, and thus avoid 90% of waste going to landfill

PICVISA offers the ECOFLAKE solution, whose small particle sorting technology can be applied to recover the different materials that give shape to any footwear. ECOFLAKE optical sorting systems are designed for demanding sorting applications requiring low material loss. They are equipped with high-resolution RGB cameras, state-of-the-art NIR technology and an innovative belt feed system, allowing for the separation of different types of materials and colours, with exceptional separation ratios and purity rates of over 90%… Thanks to the latest generation LED lighting, we obtain a high colour rendering index CRI90. For online monitoring, adjustment and maintenance, ECOFLAKE has a VPN internet connection, guaranteeing secure remote access. In addition, it has a programmable automatic cleaning system.

Recycling is an activity that contributes to making fashion more sustainable. Even if they are small, recycling our shoes is a great contribution to the preservation of the environment. And during this process, PICVISA’s technology is undoubtedly a great ally.