EcoGRIP

Activities and purpose

The project

About 22 billion pairs of sports shoes are produced globally each year, with Europe entering as the fourth largest user. When one considers the amount of fossil-based raw materials required for their production, the potential release of microplastics into the soil during use and disposal at the end of their life, one realizes the enormous impact these products have on the environment.
The EcoGrip project intends to propose a new ‘concept’ of MODULAR sports footwear, with sole and midsole made of a single recyclable material, which guarantees: improved performance (abrasion resistance, grip and comfort) and less environmental impact than current products on the market; a design based on Design for Disassembly; a longer life span thanks to resole facilitated by an ‘intelligent’ coupling system; a real product circularity, thanks to the chemical recycling to which it can be subjected, with the production of reusable reagents in the process.
All product development will be supported by life cycle analysis (LCA) to ensure design towards a lower environmental impact.