URBNC3’s Post

What are the biggest levers to make shoes more sustainable? As part of last year's Swiss Sustainability Challenge, we had the privilege to conduct a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in collaboration with University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland FHNW, using SimaPro. This allowed us to analyze crucial aspects of our product and value chain sustainability. Overall, we are pleased that many of our assumptions were confirmed through the LCA. However, there were a few surprises and valuable insights. Here are three key points that stood out: 🧵Material choice is key : One of the most significant factors affecting the LCA score is the production scale of materials. Interestingly, some vegan leather alternatives showed worse scores than animal leather, primarily due to their small-scale production, resulting in higher energy consumption per unit. Nevertheless, these innovative materials will play a pivotal role in making the shoe industry more sustainable. Once scaled, the critical factor will be their chemical composition. ⚡Know your electricity mix: If 3D printing is used in production, energy consumption can be quite high. The key determinant of emissions is the electricity mix used to power the printer. In proactive terms, this is a call for companies like ours to invest in renewable energy for their operations. ♻️Circular design and recyclability are worth it: Our study shows the potential as well as the uncertainties in the circular economy. One of the best results is achieved in the scenario where 50% of the shoe soles are sent back for recycling and used as input for new soles. The reduction in emissions by using recycled material outweighs the additional emissions caused by transport. To reduce the ecological footprint of the footwear industry, considering recyclability (e.g. the separability of materials after use) and advancements in polymer recycling is crucial. While we are very pleased with the results of the study, this example also showed how strongly LCA results can depend on assumptions, which are especially difficult to make for startups like ours. We don't have sufficient operational data yet about our own operations or customer responses, and we would like to work with new materials from other startups that also do not have long-term data to rely on. This makes it all the more important to regularly reflect critically on sustainability in startup business models. Many thanks again to Manu Singh, who performed this insightful practical LCA as his bachelor’s thesis, and to FHNW for sponsoring this project. A big thanks also goes to our strategic partner Faircustomer.ch and Tania Schellenberg, who supported us in analyzing and interpreting the study. We stay committed to making the footwear industry more sustainable and will share more detailed insights into our first LCA analysis soon. What are your experiences with LCAs? Victor Misev Fabian Whitfield Claus-Heinrich Daub Ananda Wyss

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Georg Peters

Inspired Leadership. Transform. Renew. Create | Business & Digital Transformation | New Work & New Leadership | LCP® Leadership Coach | Fractional IT Leadership | Senior IT Executive

6mo

Fascinating and honest review of sustainable sustainability aspirations URBNC3! Kudos for the courage to stand in front of the mirror. I’m curious about the dynamic of increasing the transport emissions reductions and the decarbonizing / electrifying the logistics. Is there a meaningful correlation with increasing the rate of recycled materials beyond 50%? Did the LCA look at that dynamic? What’s the tipping point and what are the barrriers to reach it?

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