On, the Swiss brand of running shoes that recently went publicin New York, has announced a shift away from petroleum-based resources with the development of a new foam material called CleanCloud™. It is made from carbon emissions as a raw material. On is the first company in the footwear industry to explore carbon emissions as a primary raw material for the sole of a running shoe, specifically for EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) foam. It could also be used for other footwear parts and products in the future.
CleanCloud is the result of four years of research in collaboration with biochemical and plastics innovation companies including LanzaTech in the U.S. and Borealis of Austria. LanzaTech uses state-of-the-art genetic engineering, AI and innovations in mechanical and chemical engineering to produce chemicals that soak up carbon instead of expelling it. Borealis is a leading provider of advanced and recyclable plastic solutions. It plays an important role in this process, producing high-performance and easy-to-process EVA foam from ethylene. With this collaboration, Borealis is driving the transition from a linear to a circular solution by opening up a new application area in close cooperation with On.
LanzaTech’s technology captures carbon monoxide from industrial waste gases such as steel mills or emissions from landfills before they enter the atmosphere. Specially selected bacteria naturally ferment the carbon-rich waste gas into liquid ethanol in a patented process. This natural fermentation process is similar to that used in conventional alcohol production (like in beer brewing). The ethanol is then dehydrated to produce ethylene, which is then polymerized by Borealis into EVA (an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer) – the versatile and lightweight material that On uses to make a high-performance foam for shoe soles.
The overall goal, On says, is to replace all soles of On footwear currently made of EVA with CleanCloud. This includes the entire Cloud range, The Roger franchise collection and part of the Active Lifestyle range.
