Manufacturing a pair of sneakers generates around 13,600 grams of carbon dioxide emissions , that is, the equivalent of keeping a 100-watt light bulb permanently on for a week. This is what emerges from a new study conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The most surprising thing about the calculation is not the large carbon footprint associated with sports shoes, but rather that two thirds of the environmental impact of the shoes we use for running derives from the manufacturing processes , and only a very small percentage is related to obtaining the materials. And this, being a relatively simple product, is at least disconcerting.
To explain this, Randolph Kirchain, a researcher at the MIT Material Systems Laboratory, has broken down the steps required to obtain ordinary sneakers and has identified that a significant part of the manufacturers of these shoes are located in China, where the main source of Electricity is coal , more polluting than other alternatives. In addition, each shoe requires around 360 assembly steps. Obtaining the material, mostly polyester and polyurethane, is, however, much easier (and sustainable).
Kirchain, who has released his conclusions in the specialized journal Journal of Cleaner Production , assures that it is necessary for sports shoe manufacturers to identify how they could improve the design to reduce the number of steps required for their manufacture and, consequently, the energy they consume.
