The Birkenstock Blog
Birkenstock Shoes, Sandals and ClogsApril 29, 2009
And yes, the footbed is made of cork (mixed with some natural latex) so we think it will compost eventually.
See more of the Compost Maven on her blog.
What do you think? Will it work out? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
April 13, 2009
Green, sustainable, reduce, reuse, recycle. How many times have you heard these terms today? You’re probably hearing them more often these days, as if all of a sudden it’s cool to be mindful of our impact on the Earth. Well, we like that here at Birkenstock and we always have. In fact, we think we’re some of the coolest kids out there.
As it’s Earth Day this month, we want to share with you how we’re mindful of our footprint and support sustainable and renewable practices; living as part of the Earth, not against it.
Our footbed is common to all our shoes, sandals and clogs. It’s made of cork, latex, and jute; all natural, all sustainable, renewable materials of the highest quality.
Right from the beginning of the production process, we’re focused on reducing, reusing and recycling.
The cork comes from the Cork Oak tree, a crop unique in that it is first harvested only after the tree is around 30 years old, and whose bark can only be removed every 9-12 years. Cork forests are second to the Amazon Rainforest in scope and species diversity and there is concern that if the amount of cork forest were to decline important eco systems could be harmed. In fact, in Portugal it’s illegal to cut down a cork oak tree.
We buy cork that was harvested by local farmers who make sure that harvesting the bark doesn’t harm the tree, supporting local economies.
The cork that makes the footbed of your Birkenstock clog or sandal is actually excess, left over from the manufacture of bottle stoppers (aka “corks”) in the wine industry. After the bottle stoppers are stamped out, we take the remaining cork and sort it according to size and quality, so only the best cork is used, containing the lightest and purest grains.
Our footbeds are manufactured by hand in Germany; layers of each material (cork, natural latex, and jute) are placed in molds and compressed to join the layers together. The footbed presses are heated through a warm water system that takes and uses the excess radiant heat produced by the factory’s own on-site central electrical generator. (How cool is that!?!) The drying racks, used after the footbeds come out of the molds, are also heated using excess heat from the same generator.
Before the footbed is bonded with the upper and the sole, we apply a synthetic adhesive that’s water-based and, as with 90% of the adhesives used at Birkenstock, completely free of solvents. Although much more expensive than conventional adhesives, it is more environmentally friendly.
Excess materials used in the manufacturing process are cut away and used elsewhere. For example, excess jute is used in the manufacturing of felt. Excess cork is sometimes used as insulation in building construction.
You see? We try and to do our part to lessen the environmental impact. It’s about an environmental sensibility and investment in our future. The footbed is just one small part of your Birkenstock shoes, sandals or clogs, just as we’re all one small part of the planet.
Tread lightly!
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