Ecological Footprints
By Sandy Cosser

We all know our planet is in a dire state. Scientists, researchers, doctors and tree huggers have been telling us this for decades. More importantly, Al Gore told us, and he won a Nobel Prize for doing it, so it must be true. The pressure to reduce carbon emissions and ecological footprints has never been greater. Businesses the world over are finally scrambling to clean up their acts and make the world a better place for you and for me and the entire human race.

Recycling polystyrene coffee cups and discarded memos is a start, but it's not quite enough. A "nice little shoe company" based in Santa Barbara in the US has taken saving the environment to new heights by aiming to make all of their products 100% sustainable. They go a step further by incorporating environmentally friendly practices in all aspects of the business. As they say, how they make their shoes is just as important as why they make them.

For instance, all of their company events are held with completely biodegradable plates and utensils. They use only biodegradable cleaning products and recycle everything that it's humanly possible to recycle. They even make use of recycled products themselves. Their shoe boxes are made from recycled paper and they ship some of their shoes (flip flops) in biodegradable cornstarch bags.

The shoes themselves are made from natural products. Jute, which is a shrub found in Asia, is used to make strong, 100% biodegradable material uppers and shoe laces. Bamboo, abundant in Asia, is woven into a material used to line all of their shoes. It's combined with charcoal, a natural odour inhibitor, to keep shoes smelling clean and fresh for the duration of their long lives.

They use cork and recycled car tyres to make insoles and outsoles. One tyre is enough to make outsoles for 6 shoes (men size 9). In addition to being renewable, cork also contains anti-microbial properties, promoting a healthy environment for your feet. Hemp and organic cotton are used to create resilient materials for shoe uppers and sidewalls. All sticking and gluing is achieved with water-based adhesives.

It's not always possible to run an entirely environmentally friendly business. I imagine oil refineries and chemical plants would find it especially difficult to achieve. But it is possible to implement effective and lasting damage control measures. It could be as simple as using coffee mugs and glasses instead of disposable cups, or recycling those disposable cups after use. The point is that everyone needs to play his or her part. Take a leaf out of our nice little shoe company's book (printed on recycled paper) and work towards reducing your business's ecological footprint.

Recommended site:

www.sbrecycles.org/.

http://www.simpleshoes.com/greentoe/

http://www.simpleshoes.com/about/index.aspx?g=about

Sandra wrote this article for the online marketers Phineas Products quality shoe hanger manufacturers one of the leading manufacturers of shoe hangers and shoe related products in the UK.

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