Tag Archives: rubber

Nike Grind Dumbbells use recycled rubber from footwear byproduct

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Of the many pieces of clothing we buy and use, shoes are probably the ones designed to last the longest. Because of that, footwear is usually made using materials that are durable and long-lasting but are also unfortunately often not environment-friendly. Rubber, particularly synthetic rubber, is one of the biggest culprits, not just in terms of post-consumer waste but even material waste during the manufacturing process. As one of the biggest footwear makers, Nike is thankfully taking a responsible stance, giving those rubber byproducts and excess materials a new purpose.

Designer: Nike

Although natural rubber is sourced from plants, it’s not that easy to replenish to meet the high demand for the material. Just like plastic, synthetic rubber is easy to manufacture but also harmful the environment due to their chemical content. Rubber from discarded shoes is one thing, but even the bits and pieces of cutoffs and scraps produced when making them also pose a threat to the environment.

Considering its lion’s share of the sports shoes market, Nike developed the Grind material that recycles manufacturing byproducts like rubber, foam, and even textiles to create a material that can be applied to products other than shoes. In this case, the Nike Grind Dumbbells are made with at least 20% Nike Grind material to offer an alternative fitness tool for environment-conscious consumers.

In addition to its sustainable value, the recycled material also gives the dumbbells a unique aesthetic. The hexagonal weights themselves have a light gray hue sprinkled with colorful specs that create a terrazzo-like appearance. Each dumbbell is, thus, totally unique, and the mixture of colors will vary from season to season, depending on the styles of footwear that Nike launches.

The gray motif of the weights perfectly complements the chrome-plated knurled handles. The handle diameter varies depending on the weight, increasing as the load gets heavier to provide a more ergonomic grip. Available in weights ranging from 2.5 lbs to 50 lbs, the Nike Grind Dumbbell offers people a fitness tool that not only takes care of their health but also the environment.

The post Nike Grind Dumbbells use recycled rubber from footwear byproduct first appeared on Yanko Design.

Mosaic-like stools are made from the soles of discarded rubber shoes

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The fashion industry is known for its striking designs, lavish materials, and sometimes mind-blowing forms, but it also has a dirty little secret when it comes to sustainability. Many of those materials, processes, and even ingredients have a tendency to harm the environment, especially mass-produced pieces of clothing, accessories, and footwear. Even something that sounds so innocent like the rubber soles of shoes can have a long-term negative impact on the planet’s health, especially when they’re thrown away without much thought. Although it’s not enough to make this discarded material disappear, these distinctive artistic stools help reduce their numbers while providing furniture that makes an impact in more ways than one.

Designer: BENTU Design

According to figures, 20 billion pairs of shoes are produced each year, and nearly all of those end up in landfills sooner or later. Footwear is usually made with half a dozen synthetic materials, with outsoles using plenty of rubber that takes more than a hundred years to decompose. Burning them, on the other hand, releases toxic gases, which is usually what happens in garbage disposal sites. Even though the process still uses water and energy, recycling these materials is still a significantly better way to deal with all the waste.

WU is a line of stools that does exactly that, giving new life to shoe soles that result in an even more interesting design. 90% of each stool’s raw materials are made from recycled rubber shoe materials, about 15kg of material that is equivalent to 60 rubber soles. It’s a small number compared to the amount of shoes being thrown away, but even just 10 of these stools mean 600 shoes are kept away from landfills.

The resulting design is quite intriguing as well. The raw materials are classified according to color to have a more uniform appearance, but the uniqueness still comes out in tiny bits of colors and microtextures. If some recycled plastics create a terrazzo effect, the recycled rubber soles result in finer and smaller pieces that have a grainy appearance as if painted with oils or mixed in with concrete.

The shape of the WU stool is also unusual, with a hexagon seat and a three-pointed base. This makes it easy to combine the stools into a larger form like a bench, though the connection will be superficial and perhaps a bit unstable. When placed together, these stools paint a rather eye-catching picture, almost literally, as if somebody took reality and applied a mosaic filter on it. Either way, no one will be the wiser that these were probably made from the pair of shoes they threw away years ago.

The post Mosaic-like stools are made from the soles of discarded rubber shoes first appeared on Yanko Design.