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A company in San Francisco, California, has
found a way to turn used plastic bottles into women's shoes.
Every day, millions of Americans drink
water and other liquids from plastic bottles. More than 60 million of them are
thrown away each day. Many of the plastic bottles end up in landfills or are
burned with other waste products.
A San
Francisco start-up company called Rothy's, however, turns this plastic waste
into environmentally friendly shoes. Rothy Martin is the company's co-founder.
He explains how they turn plastic into soft material for your feet. They take
the plastic, clean it, and break it down into small pieces. Then they press it
through a device that makes soft fibers. Those fibers are then combined, or
knit together. This is done by a three-dimensional knitting machine. It is
designed to reduce waste while making the shoes.
The knitted fabric and the inner part of
the shoes are then attached to the shoes' outer part, called the sole. This
outer sole is also made from environmentally friendly material: responsibly
sourced no-carbon rubber.
Rothy's shoes are sold online. They are
flat shoes, with either a rounded or pointed toe. They come in different colors
and designs. They cost either $125 or $145 per pair, depending on the design.
After American actress Gwyneth Paltrow
discovered them last year, the demand for the shoes grew.
Martin says there is no shortage of
material to fill that demand. “We're not going to run out of water bottles any
time soon. So we have an infinite supply of material, and I think that bodes
well for our future. ”
When the environmentally friendly shoes
wear out, customers can return them at no cost to a company that uses the
recycled materials to make other products.
For now, the shoes are only available to be
shipped in the United States. However, the company says it will add
international shipping in the near future.
