Converse is helping consumers lower their ecological footprint with a new line of sustainable Chuck Taylors as part of the company’s Renew Initiative.
The program in question uses materials that are made from post-consumer and post-industrial waste, which include plastic bottles and old jeans. The company seeks to create these sneakers in a more sustainable manner, doing so by using the aforementioned renewable materials and others, while also implementing innovative manufacturing techniques.
The Converse shoes will look to give a new life and purpose thanks to its upcycled textiles, recycled PET, as well as recycled cotton canvas blends that are features in the Chuck Taylor All Star pack. The business says the Renew canvas has “the same feel and look as traditional Converse canvas, except now made from 100 percent recycled polyester that came from used plastic bottles.”
The company added that its Renew denim uses jeans found in landfills, marking the first example of the company’s ability to upcycle fabric in order to make it into production-ready Chuck Taylors. Converse added that its Renew cotton — slated for a 2020 release — “transforms cotton canvas waste from the manufacturing process to create a composite 40 percent recycled cotton with polyester to form a new yarn.”
The Converse Renew Canvas that uses recycled PET will be hitting stores starting on July 5, while the Converse Renew Denim Chuck 70 will be out this coming August.