The future of shoes lies in recycling and repair
Recycling and reusing a broad range of materials to craft footwear is among the industry’s toughest challenges. New regulations set to take effect on January 1, 2025 require textile and fashion products to be collected separately, mirroring practices already in place for glass and cardboard. Companies will also be responsible for their products after end of life, underscoring a shift toward extended producer responsibility.
Yet the conversation is also a gateway to opportunity. A recent event titled Circular Economy: the most humane and sustainable path for companies, edited by Fice, Kreab and Inescop, explored how the shoe sector can move toward more sustainable business models. The venue was the technology institute in Elda, providing a hands-on setting for industry dialogue.
The future of footwear is built on recycling and repair
Fice president Rosana Perán highlighted that shoes are no longer merely a product; they are a catalyst for industry-wide transformation toward environmental and social sustainability. She emphasized embracing Industry 5.0, where technology and human expertise combine to create a measurable positive impact on the footwear supply chain and its communities.
Perán added that through ongoing innovation, collaboration, and a steadfast commitment to environmental and social responsibility, the footwear sector can become not only stylish and practical but also respectful of the planet and its people.
symbiosis
Similarly, Nuria Montes, Minister of Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism, urged adopting an industrial model anchored in circular economy principles to address environmental pressures and evolving consumer expectations. She noted that the old tradeoffs between economic performance and sustainable development are no longer acceptable, calling for government roles as enablers and catalysts for progress through industrial symbiosis. This approach promotes resource sharing among companies and sectors so that waste from one becomes input for another.
Montes also serves on a regional council that was recently selected by OECD to participate in a European study on circularity policies. This marks the Valencian Community as the first Spanish autonomy chosen for the initiative, alongside nine other European regions.
Antonio Porta, chairperson of Inescop, spoke about reducing bureaucracy for self-employed professionals and small- and medium-sized enterprises in light of a new law. He stressed the technology center’s crucial role as the backbone of the sector’s transformation while advocating practical support for enterprises navigating regulatory change.
More complicated than clothing
During round-table discussions, participants examined upcoming regulatory changes and the specific challenges of the footwear sector. Recycling a shoe is considerably more intricate than recycling a T-shirt or other textile garments, with ongoing work tied to the decree on industrial waste to streamline processes and compliance across the supply chain.
Shoes promote a recycling plan to recover 90% of waste
The discussion also touched on eco-design trends, focusing on evaluating each product’s carbon footprint and the opportunities for recovery and recycling at the end of life. The goal is to design products with circularity in mind from the outset, enabling higher recovery rates and reducing environmental impact across the lifecycle.