This Shoe Technology Center, also known as Inescope, partners with adhesive suppliers to advance polyurethane adhesives that rely on 100% renewable raw materials.
Adhesives play a pivotal role in the new model of circular economy within the footwear sector. Research focuses on designing adhesive joints that support easy recycling at the end of a shoe’s life, enabling the concept of design for recycling to take hold in practice.
In this effort, Inescop, based in Elda, is exploring new adhesives that meet durability standards while achieving a significant renewable content. The center has achieved up to 69% by weight polyols of renewable origin without compromising adhesion properties or long term performance in footwear joints.
Inescop leads an Elda project for sustainable footwear and ceramics using recycled materials
fossil resources
The market introduction of adhesives that lessen fossil resource use accompanies studies on new adhesive formulations with circularity features driven by innovative techniques such as chemical reversibility.
The project Recyglue II reports very promising results with waterborne adhesive formulations that are more environmentally responsible. This approach supports easier separation of materials and aligns with sustainable production goals.
The research seeks simple methods to separate different materials and to trigger separation of adhesive joints when exposed to external stimuli. This capability would ease reintegration of shoe materials into the value chain or channel them into renewable resource streams for other industrial sectors.
Elda’s Shoes for Metaverse
The work under the Recyglue II project contributes to reducing the environmental impact of adhesives and the footwear products made from them. The initiative aims to enhance circularity indicators across various polyurethane adhesive types used by shoe workers.
Rice straw shoes at Elda
Five partner companies
The research team includes Inescop along with five shoe components and adhesive manufacturers from the Valencia Community: Inescope, Unecol, Synthelast, Laurel Shoes and Cicasa.
The Recyglue II project aligns with multiple Sustainable Development Goals, contributing to health and well being, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, industry innovation and infrastructure, responsible production and consumption, climate action, and international cooperation to achieve these aims.