Goals by December 2025
- Use 75% sustainable natural and recycled materials
- Reduce the carbon footprint of materials by 25
- Reduce the use of materials in our footwear and apparel products by 25
- Double the lifespan of our products
Why Allbirds strives
Currently, about 57% of shoes and about 64% of clothing are made of synthetic materials. The problem with synthetics is that they are made from plastics, which in turn are made from petroleum. You might think that the fashion industry and fossil fuels are inextricably linked, but surprisingly, fossil fuels have only been widely used in the fashion industry since the 1980s. But we've come to rely on fossil fuels too easily, and as a result, we've accelerated climate change, which has adverse effects on many fronts, including waste and biodiversity. We can't rely on fossil fuels anymore - we need to switch to renewable, natural materials now.
Allbirds' activity
From the beginning, Allbirds has aimed to replace petroleum-derived synthetic materials with natural ones as much as possible. Where suitable alternatives were not found, we used the world's first carbon-negative green EVA. We have also developed unique materials like SweetFoam® and invested in new solutions like Plant Leather, a 100% natural plant-derived leather. Of course, developing new materials is not an easy task. Nevertheless, we continue to work on increasing the content of natural materials, using recycled synthetic materials where necessary to improve durability, or developing new technologies to enhance the performance of natural materials. There is another important thing we do. We know that to make eco-friendly products, we need to minimize the amount of raw materials we use, so we're working to redesign our packaging and minimize manufacturing waste. To do a better job with fewer materials, we're also thinking about ways to extend the life of our products and give them a new lease on life after we're done using them.