A few days ago, the reporter learned from the China Leather Association that on January 30, 2024, the group standard of "Footwear Biodegradability Evaluation" was officially released, and its standard number is T clias 012-2024. The standard stipulates the terms and definitions, requirements, test methods, labels and judgment rules of the biodegradability of footwear, which is applicable to the evaluation of the biodegradability of finished shoes, and the evaluation of the biodegradability of footwear materials can be carried out with reference. Lu Hua, deputy secretary-general of China Leather Association, said in an interview with reporters that the official release of the group standard of "Footwear Biodegradability Evaluation" is another measure for green production and high-quality development of the leather industry.
According to the China Leather Association, the materials used in footwear products mainly include natural materials and synthetic materials. Natural materials such as leather, wood, cotton, linen, silk, etc. are mainly used in shoe uppers, while synthetic materials such as rubber elastomers (soles), synthetic fibers (uppers and linings, laces), plastics (accessories), etc. are widely used in soles and other parts. Shoes made of synthetic materials are difficult to degrade after being discarded, which has caused certain pollution and impact on the ecological environment. In recent years, the footwear industry has developed degradable midsoles, outsoles, and upper materials to meet the needs of use, and degradable shoe products have also been launched on the market. However, at present, there are no testing and evaluation standards for the degradation performance of footwear products at home and abroad, so it is urgent to formulate relevant standards to regulate the development and production of degradable shoes.
The reporter saw in the biodegradability regulations of the group standard that the volatile solids content of the product should be greater than or equal to 51%. In terms of the biodegradation rate of biodegradable shoes and finished shoes, the standard stipulates two levels: "grade: absolute biodegradation rate or relative biodegradation rate of 80%" level: absolute biodegradation rate or relative biodegradation rate of 70%".
The China Leather Association said that in fact, in order to reduce the impact of the footwear industry on the environment, scientific and technological personnel in the footwear industry have been exploring and studying how to reduce pollution by using plastic to make recycled uppers or some materials of discarded shoes. Although these methods alleviate the pollution problem of discarded shoes to a certain extent, they do not fundamentally solve the environmental problem. Therefore, in order to achieve the complete degradation of waste shoes and fundamentally solve environmental problems, it is particularly important to formulate relevant standards for degradable shoes.
Luhua believes that through the formulation of the group standard of "Footwear Biodegradability Evaluation", it will help promote the green development of the footwear industry, protect the ecological environment, and provide consumers with more sustainable footwear products. With the increasing attention of global consumers to the concept of sustainable consumption, biodegradable green and ecological footwear products have huge market potential. By developing relevant standards, we can further promote the innovation and sustainable development of the footwear industry, meet market demand, and lay a solid foundation for the long-term development of the industry.
Text|Reporter Shi Xiaofei