The project uses around 2.2 pounds of gum for every four pairs of shoes
The “Project”
Chewing gum has become somewhat of a universal hobby, slowly leading to a tremendous amount of gums left on the streets. Challenged by this particular waste, 3 companies decided to work together to find a solution (city marketing organization “Iamsterdam”, designer Explicit Wear and sustainability company Gumdrop). They have developed shoes made from recycled gums.
Called Gumshoe, the shoe’s sole is made of recyclable compounds (known as Gum-Tec) produced by Gumdrop. Those compounds are made up of 20 % chewing gum.
Roughly 3.3 million pounds of chewing gum is left onto Amsterdam pavements each year. And that costs the city millions of dollars to clean up. The project uses around 2.2 pounds (1 kg) of gum for every 4 pairs of shoes.
The “Quotes”
“We discovered gum is made from a synthetic rubber. And by breaking down these properties, we were able to create a new type of rubber” – Anna Bullus
“Like any other big city, Amsterdam has a gum litter problem. It’s the second most common litter after cigarettes” – Marun Bosman
“With these shoes, we take a step closer towards gum-free streets and at the same time create awareness amongst gum users without being preachy” – Mustafa Tanriverdi
The process on page 2 ⇓
