Dow expands Sustainable Footwear Materials Portfolio

Dow has introduced a suite of low-carbon material solutions designed to assist the footwear industry in producing more sustainable products without compromising performance. This expanded portfolio includes bio-circular materials, reversible cross-linking resins, post-consumer recycled resins, and polyolefin elastomers suitable for artificial leather applications.

A notable collaboration exemplifying this initiative is with Porto Indonesia Sejahtera, a company specializing in recovery footwear. As the first in Asia to utilize Dow's post-consumer recycled polyethylene resins, Porto has integrated REVOLOOP™ resins into its premium sandal and flip-flop lines, aligning with its commitment to circular footwear solutions.

Cipto Liusman, President of Porto Indonesia Sejahtera, stated, " We pride ourselves on the quality of our recovery footwear, and Dow’s recycled plastics resins enables us to produce shoes that deliver the comfort that customers expect from us, but with enhanced sustainability."

Dow's REVOLOOP™ post-consumer recycled resins are engineered for footwear soles, capturing the value of plastic waste and reducing reliance on virgin plastics, thereby lowering the carbon footprint.

The company also offers bio-circular solutions for ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and olefin block copolymers (OBC) under the brands ELVAX™ EVA REN and INFUSE™ OBC REN. These materials are produced using alternative feedstocks derived from waste residues or byproducts, minimizing dependence on fossil resources.

Dow's polyolefin elastomers (POEs) are utilized to produce artificial leather that offers durability and stain resistance while being approximately 25% lighter than flexible polyvinyl chloride (f-PVC) and polyurethane leather used in shoe uppers. This material is designed for post-consumer recyclability and is manufactured without plasticizers, solvents, or heavy metals, resulting in low volatile organic compounds (VOC) and minimal odor.