Socially responsible flip-flops up-cycled from old newspapers
Paper - Flops made from old newspapers, benefiting the underprivileged as well as the environment.
Recycled and upcycled products feature regularly here on Springwise. Just recently we’ve seen fortune cookie purses, surfboards and even shoes made with waste materials. Now a company in Indonesia, Paper - Flops, are next to tread the eco-friendly footwear path with their flip-flop made from old newspaper, benefiting the underprivileged as well as the environment.
Paper Flops are made entirely from biodegradable materials; newspapers, coconut shells, palm tree roots and 100 percent natural rubber. They employ mentally and physically disabled workers as well as street children in Jakarta, Indonesia, providing education and training in arts and crafts to manufacture the handmade products. It takes approximately 1kg of old newspaper to produce a pair of Paper Flops, which keeps production costs low, while a natural sealant is used to ensure they are water-resistant and hard-wearing. Priced at EUR 31 a pair, Paper Flops are available in a range of models and sizes, and are currently seeking funding through Ulule.
Boasting green credentials is becoming a standard requirement for companies looking to boost their public profile. When this can be achieved at the same time as benefiting the less privileged, so much the better. Could your business kill these two birds with one stone through some equally creative thinking?
Hot on the heels of our post about Malaysian fashion label Ultra and their minimalist ten-piece wardrobe, the next innovation in budget and eco-conscious fashion is ze o ze, the versatile shoe that transforms into five different styles.
The creation of Israeli industrial designer Daniela Bekerman, ze o ze, which translates as ‘this or that’ in Hebrew, is a plain flat shoe that comes with a range of components that connect at the sole. Modular attachments in varying heel sizes take the ballet slipper to a brogue-inspired lace-up or a Mary Jane kitten-heel pump, meaning shoe lovers get more for their money while also offering a practical solution for travelers who need to pack light but still want a selection of looks. ze o ze is currently a prototype and Bekerman is looking for investors to develop and manufacture them.
Giving one product the ability to morph into multiple styles uses less material, produces less waste and makes it attractive to the growing market of environmentally-aware consumers. One to partner with to help ze o ze take their first steps?
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