PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The footwear industry produces significant quantities of wastes, which are usually disposed to landfill or incinerated. This project addresses the waste disposal problem, assessing the possibilities for reducing the level of waste by reusing waste material from both the footwear industry and from elsewhere. The three main aims of the project are: · to reduce the need to dispose of waste produced within the footwear industry by identifying means of making use of this waste within the industry; · to identify other industrial sectors where footwear waste can be utilised; and · to identify waste from other industrial sectors that can be utilised within the footwear industry. The project is co-ordinated by SATRA Technology Centre, and run in partnership with the Spanish footwear institute, INESCOP, and Clarks International Ltd. To aid with the trans-sectoral element of the project, three UK research associations are also involved; the Motor Industry Research Association (MIRA), the Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) and the Paper, Plastics and Packaging Research Association (PIRA).