Dare to visualize inconvenient truth."Shoes calorie display" spread by Sneaker brand ALLBIRDS
If running shoes evolve, this will happen.
Allbirds (All Birds) and Adidas (Adidas) sports brands have developed unprecedented tags and have developed the earth's most gentle sports shoes.The name is "Futurecraft.FootPrint ".
It is quite unusual for manufacturers who can be called competing to create shoes while sharing each other's know -how, but the surprising is the low environmental impact of this shoes.
How much carbon dioxide is discharged from the product is created to the "carbon footprint" is represented by the numerical value, but the carbon footprint of general running shoes is about 12..5kg co2e.This figure is said to be equivalent to the amount of carbon dioxide discharged when a normal passenger car runs 50 km.
However, "Futurecraft".FootPrint "carbon footprint is only 2 per pair.94kg co2e.Compared to general sneakers, it has succeeded in reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions by more than 76%.
How did you lower the carbon footprint?
I was curious, so I visited the Allbirds shop and asked me various things.
What revealed it was a number of efforts to go one step ahead of the times, including a surprisingly stoic product, an open source of materials, and the concept of "material innovation company".
How to make shoes that are easy on both people and the earth
Allbirds
A lifestyle brand that has roots in New Zealand and San Francisco, and promotes manufacturing that makes use of natural materials as much as possible, such as melino wool, eucalyptus fiber, sugarcane, and snow crab shells.
The masterpiece "Wool Runner" is as fluffy enough to keep carbon footprint as much as possible, but is described in TIME magazine as "the most comfortable in the world".Moreover, it is OK to wash it with a washing machine!
Please tell us how ALLBIRDS started making sustainable footwear.
ALLBIRDS JAPAN Managing Director Keiichi Takehana (hereinafter referred to as Takehana): There are two founders in Allbirds, but one of them, Tim Brown, is a former New Zealand national soccer player.I hated the ones that have a lot of brand logo since the active era, those with elaborate designs and shoes made of plastic.So, ALLBIRDS sneakers began with a personal experience as a soccer player to make more natural and global -friendly products.
ALLBIRDS JAPAN Marketing Director Mitsuhiro Minowa (Minohiro Minawa): Making shoes is relatively difficult than T -shirts.The work and processes are complicated, and the material to match is quite complicated.Therefore, if you can make shoes, you can spread to apparel, bags, socks, and other products.In that sense, it was originally to challenge shoes.
Dare to visualize inconvenient truth
In the fashion industry, we have heard that ALLBIRDS is the first to quantify carbon footprints and publish them.Why did you dare to open it?
Takehana: The fashion industry CO2 emissions are 2.1 billion tonnes a year.It is said to be the second most polluted industry in the world.So the responsibility is still serious.The more you can change the fashion industry, the greater the impact.
Is the calorie display of food appearing in the United States about 30 years ago?At first, is there anyone who buys products by looking at such numbers?I thought, but now it's natural.
Minowa: That's right.When the calories were displayed, it didn't come out even if it was written as 1000 kcal.So the carbon footprint number is now "2.Even if it is said to be 94kg, it doesn't come close, but I think it will be more intuitive after 5 or 10 years.
Takehana: You don't have to see the calorie display if you want to see it, and if you don't want to see it.But because we think it's very important to have a choice there, we are also quantifying carbon footprints and publishing them.
If other manufacturers will also publish carbon footprints, consumers will be able to select products based on the load on the environment.Furthermore, once we have announced that we are so polluting the environment, we will not be able to make the numbers worse the next time we make new products.Therefore, it also has the meaning of accountability to take us responsible.
There are no enemies or friends in the fight against climate change
── This time "Futurecraft.How did you get a collaboration with Adidas when making FootPrint?
Minowa: I assembled the tag with Adidas because I think that climate change is a problem that cannot be solved by one company alone.I heard that it was a direct starting point that both Adidas and our representatives were New Zealanders.
But it's OK to make shoes from the zero stage together.It was a very difficult situation due to the corona evil, and the corporate culture of the two companies and the materials used were different, so I think it was quite difficult to bring it in that form in one year.Certainly, was the carbon footprint number in the 7kg level at first?A lot of compression from there, eventually 2.I arrived at the 94kg co2e value.
The existence of sustainability in charge of sustainability
─ How did you compress the carbon footprint?
Takehana: The development process is almost the same as ordinary shoes.There is a designer and a developer.However, the only difference is that the person in charge of sustainability is involved in product development.
Minowa: For example, there is a towel dyed by the indigo man in Tokushima prefecture, which is handed over to the opening of the ALLBIRDS Marunouchi store.I suggested.
Then, first of all, I was asked about indigo dyeing ingredients.In addition, I was asked what to put in the indigo dye.According to Aiji, it seems that shells, honey, flour, etc. are added to adjust the pH, but the sustainable person in charge asked, "Is wheat is DNA recombinant?"I was really surprised.You're looking at the traceability so far.
In addition, sustainability is often heard about water.For example, our shoes use a sole derived from sugar cane, but sugarcane is durable and grows up only with rainwater even without irrigation facilities.
In addition, hemp (hemp) used in apparel will grow without an irrigation facility or not to use insecticides.From the global perspective, the amount of water is still limited, so we are looking for a material that makes effective use of limited resources.
Manufacturing with materials
Takehana: ALLBIRDS co -founders say that we are not shoe stores but material innovation companies.First of all, there is an innovation of the material, and the product is on top of it.
Until now, I think I had been looking for a material that fits it.Then, it becomes difficult to choose the right one for the environment.Instead, there is a reliable material first, and it is a completely opposite idea of promoting manufacturing from there.In a way, I think it's very easy.It is more efficient to have a material first, and there is no waste.
I think the more restrictions, the more creativity they will be.So, in the constraints of only this, it's an interesting way of making things in terms of how much you can demonstrate your creativity.
Common points with Linux
─ The material that allbirds has been developed so far and the method of calculating carbon footprints are also opened into open source. Why?
Takehana: That's right.If you go to our website, all are disclosed, so anyone can use it.We have disclosed that we want other companies to do it.
For example, the material from the sugar cane, which we have developed with a Brazilian company, is commercialized by shoes manufacturers and other industries, including UGG and Timberland as far as I know.The goal is to change the environment by gathering more people, so it is originally not to enclose technology.As many people use it, R & D will advance and the cost will decrease, so it means that many consumers can buy it.
Minowa: Since the Allbirds headquarters is located in San Francisco, I think Silicon Valley is blowing and we are influenced by it.I think that it embodies that the technology becomes more innovative by making an open platform.
Takehana: It's easy to understand if you compare it to IT.If you think about open software like Linux, you can understand that what we are open is not so weird.
Minowa: I also said Takehana, but even if we only do, only the Japanese are doing it, and it will not change unless everyone reduces the environmental load.That's why I think the need to open everything and get involved with everyone.
People's consciousness is changing
Minowa: Society has begun to respond.
Takehana: That's right.
Minowa: Until now, only a little conscious people, such as eco and sustainable, were interested in Allbirds, but they are gradually becoming more and more spreading into the main stream.I feel that the tide is changing.
─ Where was the reason why the tide changed?
Takehana: I think it's a policy.I think not only grassroots but also politics and policy leadership is very important.Also, with low topicality, I think that it is not just a bad thing that sustainability is a marketing word.I think it would be nice if it was phase 1.I hope it will gradually be selected and the real thing will remain.It is positive that sustainability is not bad for sustainability to be a keyword.
Minowa: I wonder if everyone has begun a sense of crisis.There is a fire in the United States and Australia, and summer is flooding every year.Even the Tama River was flooded.I feel that this is weird that everyone is starting to notice, and more people think that they should take action a little.I feel that the movement is accelerating due to the corona evil.
Sustainability light
Minowa: Now, all employees are thinking about a scenario to make carbon zero by 2030 in Allbirds.I think that if you do your best, you will be able to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions to about half, but in the future I am keenly aware that if you do not change the style of your life quite a bit, you will not be carbon zero.
But now I think it's still a light cut.I think it's good to start from such a simple place, such as carrying my bag, reducing wrapping paper, frequently removing electricity.On top of that, if you think that you can contribute a little if you buy ALLBIRDS shoes or buy Patagonia's clothes, everyone can take action easily.
Takehana: That's right.それが広まって、ある程度のマスにならないと。我々がフォーカスしてきたのは石油由来のものを使わないことですが、まずそれがフェーズ1だとしたら、次のフェーズでは今増えていっているCO2をカーボンシンクなどに吸い取らせて、排出量を逆転させることですね。
Minowa: Since 2050 is a zero target in Japan, Allbirds gets a zero target in 2030.I think there will be a world you can see by going ahead for 20 years.
You don't have to be stoic
Takehana: Sustainability and commercial success are often contradictory, but I think that's different in the first place.As the number of products with low environmental loads increases, the consumption continues, but the load on the environment will decrease overall.So I don't think sustainability and commercial success are contradictory.
When it comes to sustainability, it's often a story like nothing, but it's not that, but to use something that is as rich as possible but has a small load on the environment.I think that is a mission.
ALLBIRDS Marunouchi
3-4-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo New International Building 1st floor 105 wards
2 minutes walk from Yurakucho Station on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line (exit D1)
1 minute walk from Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line, Toei Mita Line, Hibiya Station (Exit B4)
Business hours: 11: 00-19: 00 irregular holidays
Contact: Help@allbirds.jp
Photo: Chitara Yamada