Life Re-Shoes

Production of a new high-quality shoe model, through the recycling of end-of-life footwear.

With the aim of providing a circular and sustainable solution for the management of the end-of-life of shoes (a phase in which materials are obtained for direct use in the production of new shoes), a new standard has been introduced within the footwear industry supply chain.

The implementation of the project, within the LIFE Programme of the European Commission, includes the release of a new model of footwear under the SCARPA brand, starting from the end-of-life phase of the product through structured collection, sorting and recycling of materials.

From the shoe
to creative
recycling

Used shoes collection

Traceability of their handling

Recycling and regeneration

Production of new footwear

Europe’s major challenges in managing used textiles

Production of a huge amount of new shoes, most of which end up in the landfill
Difficulty in recycling shoes as they are made with a mix of materials glued together, making them difficult to separate.
European Commission proposes new rules to make producers responsible for the entire life cycle of textile products
Proposal for harmonisation of EPR policy for textile products across all EU Member States.

The problems addressed through different steps

The collection of 15,000 used “Mojito” shoes, distributed in SCARPA stores in Italy, France, Germany, and Austria (powered by Innovando)
Traceability of the individual product from the end-of-life phase, management of the discount system via a dedicated app, developed ad hoc (powered by Innovando)
Recycling and regeneration: transformation of collected shoes into new raw materials, aiming to reduce both the use of raw materials and the environmental impact compared to standard production processes. One of the partners involved is Rubber Conversion, a company owned by Innovando.
The new sustainable, high-quality, market-ready footwear.
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Benefits for the footwear industry

The footwear sector will benefit from a circular process that provides secure and continuous access to resources, ensuring an immediate response to supply shortages and managing its long-term competitiveness.