Balena is a material science company that is based in both Milan and Tel Aviv and has been a force in the realm of circular design -- now it launches slides that are made from its BioCir material. The shoes are entirely biodegradable and one day goes back to the earth.
The BioCir material is smooth, durable, and flexible, which is the perfect alternative to rubber and traditional plastic that is often used to construct shoes, and harmful to the environment. BioCir is 60% bio-based and can be compostable because of its thermoplastic design. Additionally, the biodegradable polymer also allows the material to be scalable and used through 3D processing which aids in lowering emissions overall.
Biodegradable Casual Slides
Balena Designs a Series of Slides Made from Its Biocir Material
Trend Themes
1. Biodegradable Footwear - Companies can innovate by developing a range of biodegradable footwear that reduces environmental impact.
2. Circular Design Materials - New materials and composites can be explored and developed to contribute to circular design.
3. Bio-based Plastics - Innovation in bio-based plastics can create new opportunities to reduce reliance on petroleum-based plastics.
Industry Implications
1. Footwear Manufacturing - The footwear manufacturing industry can adopt biodegradable materials and explore circular design principles to create more sustainable products.
2. Material Science - The material science industry can explore the development of new bio-based plastics and composites.
3. Sustainable Fashion - Innovation in materials and circular design can help the sustainable fashion industry create products with a lower environmental impact.