Alchemy

Reverse logistics with utilisation of waste materials.

How is it an example of reutilised materials: 

Effekt, a design agency, has designed a trainer which utilises the huge volumes of waste created from the fashion industry, preventing it reaching the Ocean, by using it as the main material of the trainer. 

Each pair of trainers is made with an average of 775 grams of recycled textile waste, reclaimed rubber and recovered ocean plastic, according to the brand. Utilising a waste stream is becoming a more popular method for designers to tap into. It should be noted that not all reclaimed materials are 100% reclaimed. Depending on what material and manufacturing facilities often a small % of virgin material will still be required - this is still on a positive trajectory of lowering the mass need of new virgin materials. 

What other sustainable initiatives does Effekt implermet?

The design and effectiveness does not stop at just capturing the waste material, “...Trainers returned to by Effekt Footwear are broken down into new materials which can be reused again.”  

This is interesting to see how the design is taken one step further than just utilising a waste stream. This systematic change to designing a product which allows for a circular economy and material recapture holds high on lowering CO2e. Often materials which are recaptured end up being part of this unknown new material mix, whilst it is great they are not in the ocean, they create further unknowns when end-of-product life occurs. To bypass this Effekt has created a send-back scheme, where industrial compost can be broken down and re-used.