Biodegradable athletic footwear

The use of biodegradable materials is a long-term solution to landfill pollution that can significantly help protect the natural environment by replacing the synthetic, non-biodegradable polymers found in athletic footwear.

A shorter life cycle of athletic footwear has begun to create non-degradable waste in landfills due to synthetic and other non-biodegradable materials used in production.

The athletic shoe midsole is one of the main contributors that lead to a generation of end-of-life waste because it is composed of polymeric foams based on ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA).

[2] EVA is a polyolefin copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate that provides durability and flexibility, making it the most commonly used material found in athletic shoe midsoles.

EVA goes through an anaerobic decomposition process called thermal degradation that often occurs in landfills resulting in releases of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air.

EVA athletic shoe midsoles can be kept in contact with moist soil for a period of 12 years and experience little to no evidence of biodeterioration.

[7] In order to reduce post-consumer waste and improve environmental properties of athletic shoes, biodegradable materials can help to replace synthetic polymers such as ethylene-vinyl acetate with the ability to compost at the end-of-life phase.

[13] The major advantage of introducing biodegradable polymers to athletic footwear is the ability to compost with other organic wastes for it to become useful soil attendant products.

However, the use of biodegradable materials is a long-term solution that can significantly help protect the natural environment by replacing synthetic, non-biodegradable polymers found in athletic footwear.