Swiss sports brand On has launched the first shoe made from carbon emissions called Cloudprime.
- The shoe is meant to move away from petroleum-based resources by creating a new foam material called CleanCloud, made using carbon emissions as a raw material.
The tech: On has been exploring carbon emissions as a primary raw material for a shoe’s midsole, specifically EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) foam, that could also be used in other shoe parts and products in the future.This comes after five years of dedicated work.
- CleanCloud is the result of a supply chain partnership with some of the most innovative companies in biochemicals, process and material innovation, including LanzaTech, Borealis and Technip Energies.
- LanzaTech uses a combination of cutting-edge genetic engineering, state-of-the-art artificial intelligence, and innovations in mechanical and chemical engineering to manufacture chemicals using a process that soaks up carbon rather than emitting it.
- Borealis is a provider of advanced, circular and renewable plastic solutions and essential in creating high-performance, easy-to-process EVA foam for CleanCloud.
- Technip Energies is an engineering and technology company for the energy transition and in this consortium in charge of the process of dehydrating ethanol to the gas ethylene, which is a monomer and the most important building block of widely used plastics.
- This collaborative approach is key to overcoming the challenges of developing this complex technology at a commercial scale.
This is how it works:
- Technology from LanzaTech captures carbon monoxide emitted from industrial sources like steel mills before being released into the atmosphere.
- Once captured, these emissions enter a patented fermentation process.
- Thanks to specially selected and naturally occurring bacteria, the carbon rich gas ferments naturally and is converted to ethanol.
- This natural fermentation process is similar to that of conventional alcohol production – e.g., beer brewing.
- The ethanol is then dehydrated to create ethylene by Technip Energies, which is then polymerised by Borealis to become EVA in a form of solid small plastic pellets – the versatile and lightweight material that On starts working with to create a performance foam for shoes.
More in the offing: On is also collaborating with circular start-up Novoloop on the CleanCloud outsole, by utilising the world’s first chemically upcycled TPU from post-consumer plastic waste.
- The outsole was put under rigorous lab and athlete testing, meeting specifications comparable to fossil derived TPUs with a significant carbon footprint reduction.
- For the upper, On is collaborating with the French start-up Fairbrics to create a polyester-based textile made from carbon emissions.
What they said:
Holding the first-ever shoe made of carbon emissions in my hands is a huge milestone – not only for On, but for the whole sports industry. Five years ago, this was barely a dream. Imagine what can happen in the future as we unlock the potential of alternative carbon sources with further research and in collaboration with the best partners.
— Caspar Coppetti
Co-Founder and Executive Co-Chairman
On
As we increasingly convert pollution into the products we use in our daily lives, we will reduce the need to extract more carbon from the ground! The partnership between On, Borealis,Technip and LanzaTech will change how the world thinks about sourcing carbon, enabling us to bend the carbon curve, keep our skies blue, and create a sustainable future for all.
— Jennifer Holmgren
Chief Executive Officer
LanzaTech
Technip Energies is proud to be supporting On in this exciting project to make CleanCloud a reality. The application of our Hummingbird technology to produce bio-ethylene is one step to a more sustainable future. We look forward to working with the On team to scale up and help bring CleanCloud to the world.
— Bhaskar Patel
SVP Sustainable Fuels, Chemicals & Circularity
Technip Energies
Borealis is thrilled to be part of this unique value chain collaboration. With our creative partners On, LanzaTech, and Technip Energies we are proud to co-create circularity in carbon and decouple plastic from its reliance on fossil-based resources. Through innovation and collaboration, we continue re-inventing essentials for sustainable living.
— Lucrèce Foufopoulos
EVP Polyolefins, Circularity and Innovation & Technology
Borealis
