[imagesource: Pat McDonogh / The C-J]

It is always good to see a big brand step up and think about changes that can be made for a more sustainable future.

Shoes, especially, are easily thrown in the garbage when they break or become outdated, leaving them to take up space in landfills and on coastlines.

For this reason, PUMA’s innovation department is hard at work, trying to come up with a solution that works for everyone.

The sportswear giant attempted to create a biodegradable sneaker as part of its InCycle collection back in 2012, but that go to plan.

Now PUMA is addressing the technological limitations of that InCycle collection and applying the lessons learned as part of a new biodegradable sneakers experiment.

Introducing PUMA’s pilot experiment ‘No Time for Waste’, which tests the biodegradable version of its most iconic sneaker, called the RE:SUEDE:

Image: PUMA

The PUMA SUEDE has been at the forefront of cultural turning points since the first design was released in 1968.

The RE:SUEDE will be made from recycled materials such as Zeology tanned suede, biodegradable TPE, and hemp fibres, bringing it into the new age of sustainable products for a better future.

Image: PUMA

Yahoo! has more:

The RE:SUEDE experiment is a pilot in circularity, and today’s ultimate expression of the next generation SUEDE – with the ambition to set new standards of sustainability for the iconic shoe.

The experiment will take place in Germany at the start of next year, offering 500 selected participants the chance to join PUMA on its experimental journey towards circularity.

In partnership with PUMA, participants will wear their RE:SUEDEs for six months to test out the durability of a product using biodegradable materials in real life, before sending them back to PUMA via a take back infrastructure, designed to move the products to the next step in the experiment.

The sneakers will then be subject to an industrial biodegradation test to determine if Grade A compost can be produced for agricultural use:

The findings will help PUMA assess the biodegradable process and unpick essential research and development for the future of sustainable shoe consumption.

The RE:SUEDE experiment is the first circular programme to launch under PUMA’s new innovation hub, “Circular Lab”, and will be a refurbished version of the 2012 InCycle collection.

Image: PUMA

Image: PUMA

It may be some time before we see any RE:SUEDEs up for sale. For now, you can shop the entire PUMA range online.

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[source:yahoo!]