Luxury Brands and ‘Biodegradable’ Rubber - is it for real?
As the rubber shoe trend evolves from crocs and wellies to Bottega Veneta and Ganni, the question of how sustainable rubber footwear is becomes more and more prevalent. With more and more fashion companies beginning to address the reality of the climate crisis and committing to more environmentally-conscious practices, product materials have come under closer scrutiny than ever before.
Rubber can be either natural or synthetic, with natural rubber (latex) grown from plants and as such being the more ecological option than synthetic rubber produced artificially from petroleum. In its purest form natural rubber is biodegradable, but unfortunately it is not that simple. In order to bind and mould the rubber, chemicals are added, rendering it 'vulcanized' and no longer biodegradable.
It is becoming clear how important transparency between brands and consumers is with regard to environmental changes and sustainable measures. Crocs, a cult favourite in the rubber shoe market, have recently announced plans to become an entirely vegan company by the end of 2021, in accordance with their goal of being a net zero corporation by 2030. However, although the term 'vegan' suggests sustainable and environmental change, it does not hold the company accountable to any measurable or quantifiable sustainable changes.
Experts are suggesting that instead of making biodegradability claims that are difficult to measure and verify, brands should focus on the compostability of their products in order to 'close the loop' on materials.
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