Evoco replaces fossil-based polyurethane foams with bio-based materials to help reduce carbon emissions in the footwear industry

According to the World Economic Forum, the fashion industry and its supply chain emit 10% of the world's greenhouse gases each year. As footwear companies begin to consider their environmental footprint, brands are finding that a significant portion of their greenhouse gas emissions come from the materials they use (from carbon-intensive petrochemicals).

Evoco was founded by Jason Robinson, a pioneer in climate technology with over 20 years of experience in commercializing renewable technologies. Evoco is an innovative company dedicated to unlocking the potential of phytochemistry to develop low-carbon, high-performance materials.

Commenting on Evoco's significant impact on the footwear industry, Jason Robinson said: "The footwear industry has assessed its environmental impact and now understands that the main way to reduce its environmental impact is to reduce its dependence on petrochemicals. Evoco's solution is to put plants at the heart of its innovation platform, replacing oil with plants to develop high-performance materials. Helping brands on their depetrochemical journey by providing solutions that decarbonize and detoxicate their supply chains."

In fact, Evoco's plant-based foam technology FATES is made from up to 85% bio-based components, 100% of which are plant-based certified. Using bio-based foam to manufacture footwear components such as insoles or midsoles can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70% compared to traditional petroleum-based polyurethane foams. Notably, the company regularly conducts life cycle analyses to drive innovation and product development to minimize environmental impact. The company focuses on all impact categories, not just greenhouse gas emissions.
Jason Robinson acknowledges that standard polyurethane foam has many advantages, but says FATES performs as well as these petroleum-based components, if not better. For consumers, this means a high-quality, sustainable product with long-lasting performance and minimal environmental impact at end-of-life due to its biodegradable properties and removal of toxic elements such as tin-based catalysts during production.

Jason Robinson said what sets Evoco apart is its vertical integration and dedicated manufacturing operations, allowing it to produce high-performance footwear components at the requirements of its partners and further increase transparency into material impacts.

Jason Robinson said that in the current market, the Evoco solution is competitively priced and has always outperformed other solutions. "Our material technology is cost-effective and can be designed at scale."
Jason Robinson said: "Brands with a strong commitment to the environment understand the need to accelerate the adoption of bio-based materials when implementing science-based targets. Bio-based insoles aren't just for 'Green Limited Edition' or capsule collections. Evoco has produced millions of pairs of insoles and its technical design can have a large-scale impact on the footwear industry. Our solutions enable brands to de-petrochemical their supply chains today while delivering measurable environmental benefits to their end consumers. "

Evoco will unveil its latest FATES Open Cell Sheetstock technology at the Northwest Materials Show in Portland in August 2023. This is an exciting development. This material technology provides a lightweight foam solution designed to replace the die-cut and press-molded insoles currently used to assemble one billion pairs of shoes each year, which are the most standard component types in the footwear industry.

As a solution for large-scale footwear applications, this technology introduces breakthrough low-density polyurethane foam for insole applications, specifically designed to integrate high bio-based components into footwear designs, making it the simplest and most effective solution.

Going forward, Jason Robinson said, Evoco's materials science team will expand its phytochemistry platform and is developing rigid plastics, adhesives and 3D printing solutions, with projects already underway in the automotive, furniture and apparel sectors.
Jason Robinson said: "Evoco is committed to driving the footwear industry by introducing new components to the market. "In addition to casting polyurethane insoles and midsoles and now die-cut lightweight foam insoles, our innovation roadmap includes plant-based uppers, rigid plastics, and ultimately all core components to support brands in designing high-performance, low-carbon product lines with minimal impact at end-of-life."