Sustainability in Footwear Production

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Sustainability in Footwear Production

Resource sustainability

A production can be defined as sustainable if the materials and process used do not adversely impact the potential for the same product to be manufactured in the future. In a many cases, the use of the term sustainable has been almost solely connected with environmental impacts and the use of material resources. However it should be remembered that there are also financial and social sustainability impacts, For example, retailing products at below the cost of production is not a sustainable practice, as an organization's Capital will be consumed over time Hence this is a practice that can be employed only for short periods.

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Resource sustainability

 Footwear uses a wide range of materials for individual. components and each material type will have its own sustainability characteristics. The main materials are leather, textile, plastic, rubber, etc. Leather from cattle, sheep, goat and pigs is considered by-product of the meat industry. as long as there is a market for meat products. Sustainability issues surrounding the rearing of animals which are then used for the production of meat and leather has centered on the land use for the grazing of these animals. 

Once the raw skins reach the tannery, sustainability should focus on the use of water- a critical resource in many - developing countries. This is especially true if the tannery is extracting or discharging water from a watercourse that is used as a resource other users for other processing operations. irrigation, drinking or even leisure. Etraction rates and discharge rates should be as close as possible. and the discharged water should meet stringent levels in terms of pollutants, color, pH, temperature etc. In addition to the pollutants that may be present in water discharges from a tannery, consideration should be given to solid waste, which may be contaminated with a variety of toxic chemicals and will need to be disposed of responsibility to avoid the potential contamination of land and ground waters. 

The chemicals used for the tanning process must also be considered, chromium salts are generated from chromium, which is extracted from ores found in the earth's surface. The state of the metal and its abundance in seams and specific minerals will determine how easy this is to mine and hence, the cost and availability of chromium over time. 

During the processing of natural textiles, many of the same issues are encountered as those associated with the tanning process for leathers. These include the use of pesticides, fertilizers and process chemicals and the extraction of water for processing. the amount of water used in the An addition, growing of cotton is also critical as the areas of the world where cotton is grown are those that. severe water shortages. may experience.

Synthetic textiles, like most synthetic polymers are derived from oils as are the majority of soling materials, Most of the oil used in this production is derived from petroleum - a non-renewable resource also required for transport, power generation and other industrial uses.

The alternatives to petroleum-based oil are derived G from such crops as rapeseed, sunflower, palm and soya. These are renewable (as crops can be planted and harvested each season) but they may not always be considered as sustainable. There is pressure on the land used to grow the oil-generating crops, which may also be required for growing food crops, in addition to issues surrounding the use of pesticides and fertilizers which are employed to maintain crop yields. Water is an incredibly important resource which is vital for the biology of organisms, Water resources are also under pressure from the increasing population and overconsumption. The leather and textile industries are major contributors to water pollution in emerging market economies. Cotton crops require significant amounts of water. The tanning process potentially be extremely damaging to the Can environment if the effluent is not correctly treated. The processing and dyeing associated with cotton and textiles are also often the source of serious water pollution, particularly in the developing world. The leather and chemical industries often leading market economies within the developing world. Care needs to be taken to ensure that waste water is not directly returned to water sources without prior treatment. This water can contain hormone-altering chemicals, coloured dyes and cleaning solvents that can alter the pH, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorous levels in rivers, Such contamination has been linked with increased rates of cancer and asthma, Legislation is largely being driven by the West. However, the ever-increasing demand for low-cost goods sourced from the developing world does not encourage the implementation of policing and treatment due to the additional costs involved.

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