09.05.2022

Heierling and Flawa Consumer bring sustainable ski shoes to the slopes

Davos/Flawil - Heierling and Flawa Consumer hope to jointly develop sustainably manufactured ski shoes. At the 15th Eastern Switzerland Innovation Conference from OST – Eastern Switzerland University Ost, they enquired about the possibilities for manufacturing to meet the conditions of the circular economy.

Heierling and Flawa Consumer plan to collaborate on manufacturing sustainable ski shoes. According to a press release, they gained insight into a long-term production conversion at the 15th Eastern Switzerland Innovation Conference from OST – Eastern Switzerland University.

As part of a workshop, a team of more than 30 experts considered the criteria that must be met for future ski shoe manufacturing. For instance, it is feasible to use recycled plastic as the material for the hard external shell instead of petroleum-based plastic. Heierling is said to already have contacted EMS-Chemie, a polymer manufacturer based in the canton of Graubünden, regarding recyclable plastics.

Another determining factor is the business model for wearing the shoes: if inner and outer shoes were sold separately, only the inner part would need to be bought again when feet have grown. This would reduce the material usage and correspond to the aim in the circular economy to share, lease, reuse, repair, and recycle products for as long as possible.

According to the information provided, the ski shoe manufacturer Heierling based in Davos and the toiletries producer Flawa Consumer from Flawil in the St.GallenBodenseeArea hope to expand the implementation of sustainability and the circular economy to their entire production systems and improve engagement in corporate sustainability, social innovation, and a long-term economic system.

In addition to shoe soles, Flawa Consumer announced steps to adapt the processes for its cotton wool product and face mask divisions to the cradle-to-cradle circular economy process. According to a statement by Hans-Martin Heierling he is pursuing the same aims: “In future I hope that not only all Heierling ski shoes are manufactured in line with the circular economy, but also hiking boots, sports shoes, and work shoes.”