Together with Mars and the Kolesnik shoe factory, we have released a limited collection of clogs with the addition of chewing gum. The finished product contains up to 7% recycled gum base. For the manufacture of clogs, they use substandard and waste generated at the factory.
The implementation of this project became possible thanks to the partnership between Mars and EcoPartners Group. Together we have been working on this project since 2019: we have conducted a number of studies on the specifics of working with chewing gum and studied the possibilities of its use in the production of new products.
Managing Partner of EcoPartners Group Konstantin Rzayev about the project:
“The limited collection of recycled gum clogs is a long-standing idea of ours and we are delighted to finally bring it to the market. To implement the project, together with partners, it was necessary to carry out a lot of research related to the study of the physical and chemical properties of raw materials and the search for the optimal composition of the rubber mixture for the manufacture of a quality product.
In a test batch of clogs, the percentage of chewing gum is 5-7%, but the specific rubber that is part of the chewing gum will allow the use of recyclable materials in a larger percentage too - our team of experienced engineers and researchers is focused on innovation and work with new technologies. We have been working in the field of waste recycling for over 15 years, during this time we have carried out many experiments with various types of materials and packaging, accumulated a wealth of experience, and the project with the recycling of gum is among the most interesting.
In the nearest future: expansion of this direction and new solutions for the use of used chewing gum as a raw material in the manufacture of other products. "
In July, the first 1000 pairs of blueberry and crimson shoes went on sale on Yandex.Market. The retail price of one pair is 750 rubles.