Mean life of footwear. Results and methodology implemented for estimating a fundamental Life Cycle Analysis variable. Antonio M. Ruiz Mariscal CIATEC, AC November 15, 2013.
Mean life of footwear. Index. Basic concepts. Methodology. Literature review. Data collection: survey, laboratory, landfill. Analysis. Results. Conclusions. Concluding remarks. Sustainability & Social Responsibility.
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Basic concepts.
•Mean life: the average time of existence of an entity or else its lifetime. •Life Cycle Assessment: An evaluation of the potential environmental impacts of a product system. •Mean life is related to the usable lifespan of else the durability of the footwear. The quantitative evaluation of this parameter is very complex because it is subject to a variety of variables, such as: technical factors , such as the resistance of the product . weather conditions such as humidity. fashion factors, with seasons and styles. usage patterns, such as casual, work, sport, rest.
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Mean Life of footwear & Life Cycle. The mean life goes from:
The initial point when the shoe is finished at the factory to The ending point when the shoe ceases to be. Mean life
or Lifespan Cradle to Cradle
Cradle to Grave 11%
Reuse 85%
Disposal
Distribution
Recycle
Landfill Resources
Manufacturing
Use
*198.5 MTCO2
83.6 MTCO2
1.5 MTCO2
-- Days --
-- Months --
*MTCO2 = Million tonnes of CO2 . Global Warming impact in the year 2012
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4%
End-of-life 12.5 MTCO2
-- Years --
Methodology for the mean life determination. 1.- Literature Review. Aiming at identifying:
-background -patterns of use -recycling data 2.- Data Collection. Fieldwork:
-survey -laboratory testing -landfill sampling 3.- Analysis. Putting into context with other approaches:
-evaluation of life and product cycles -reuse and recycling integration 4.- Conclusions.
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1.- Literature review. Trends identification.
Global Footwear Consumption
(CIATEC, IBIS, APICCAPS, 2012)
Over the last score years, the footwear sector has improved material efficiency, as well as eliminated the use of many hazardous materials during the production phase. However, the environmental gains made in production are being overtaken by the negative impact of the considerable increase in the demand for footwear products. Per capita consumption of footwear does not take into consideration barefooted people. 6
1.- Literature review. Calculations basis.
Weight per pair in grams.
Tennis
Men
655
568
304
960
428
583
Women
593
429
212
567
342
428
Children
356
260
127
340
205
257
Average
535
419
214
622
325
423
Casual Sandals
Dress
Industry sources and Customs offices worldwide. 2012. Data from weighting samples totalizing 125 tonnes of footwear.
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Tennis (brands) Average
1.- Literature review. Patterns of use. Running shoes (from Press notes): Age
Footwear change
Years
Every …
0 - 1.5
2 months
1.5 - 2.5
3 months
2.5 - 4
4 months
4-6
6 months
6-9
3.5 months
10 - 20
5 months
21 - 35
4.5 months
36 - 45
5.5 months
46 - 60
7 months
61 - 75
8 months
75 - 90
8.5 months
“Runners replace them after 300 miles (~500 kilometers); after that shoes lose their bounce”. “In Europe, researchers report that people typically wear shoes for about 600 miles…(~1000 kilometers)”
(CIATEC, IBV, 2013)
Footwear Fashion has cycles of 18 months with 2 seasons/collections per year. 8
1.- Literature review. Patterns of use. The average moderately active person takes about 7,500 steps a day. The world’s average life expectancy is 67.5 years. Most people start walking at one year of age. Average stride is 80 cm long. The steps taken in a lifetime would be: 182,043,000. An average person, would walk about 145,600 kilometers in a lifetime. Because of cars the trend is to expect a reduction in these numbers.
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1.- Literature review. Accumulation. Number of footwear pairs owned on an average in industrialized countries: For a woman: Ages 13-16: 15 pairs. Ages 17-21: 25 pairs. Ages 25-50: 40 pairs. For a man: A non-written rule says that no man thinks he needs more than 3 pairs of shoes: one black dress pair, a pair of boots for bad weather, and a pair of sneakers. Various surveys put the male figure at 5 pairs on average. . Average American owns 10 pairs (US Census Bureau, 2010) There are a minimum of 760 million barefooted people in the world (World Health Organization, 2012)
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2.- Data collection. Country industry surveys. Mexico (2012) Footwear Type
Pairs consumed
%
Tennis Children/baby Casual men Casual women Sandal women Dress men Dress women School boys School girls Boot women Boot cowboy Industrial Sandal men Other (orthopedic)
77,222,608 37,404,671 31,406,022 29,439,413 29,039,900 27,483,638 24,717,589 15,823,832 14,600,882 12,984,260 7,336,739 4,047,620 1,708,058
24.60 11.91 10.00 9.38 9.25 8.75 7.87 5.04 4.65 4.14 2.34 1.29 0.54
734,767
0.23
Total:
313,950,000
Men
Women Children Other 24.6 11.91
10 9.38 9.25 8.75 7.87 5.04 4.65 4.14 2.34 1.29 0.54 0.23 28.54
21.39
Sources: CIATEC, CICEG, Industry sampling
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21.6
28.46
2.- Data collection. Laboratory testing. The durability of the footwear is based on tests defined on ISO norms or equivalent. For each test, two limits are set: Minimum value representing a very poor resistance of the footwear, supposed to be the lowest possible on the market, Maximum value representing a very high resistance according to the test method and for which it is assumed the footwear will never reach the breaking point during its life cycle. Sample pairs analyzed come usually from brand new footwear.
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2.- Laboratory testing: EU Ecolabel criteria.
European Union CRITERION 10: Parameters contributing to durability All footwear shall meet the requirements indicated, using the following test methods: (ISO) EN 12770 - Outsoles - Abrasion resistance, (ISO) EN 12771 - Outsoles - Tear strength, (ISO) EN 13512 - Upper - Flex resistance, (ISO) EN 13571 - Upper - Tear strength, (ISO) 17696 - Uppers, linings and insocks - Tear strength (ISO) EN 17707 - Outsoles - Flex resistance, (ISO) EN 17708 - Whole sole - Sole adhesion, (ISO) EN 17700 - Test methods for uppers, linings and in socks - Colour fastness to rubbing.
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2.- Data collection. Landfill sampling. Footwear manufacturing wastes (2012). Some concepts. Adhesives, oil, solvents Household type waste Injection wastes Insole and reinforcement materials Outsole preparation & cementing Upper and lining materials Upper manufacturing waste
Total (tonnes /year)
46,377 118,420 95,845 574,142 348,598 315,494 4,388
Sources: CLIA, CTC, CIATEC, Industry sources, 2012.
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Some 85% of all the footwear consumed worldwide ends up in the landfill, while the rest is either reused or recycled.
2.- Data collection. Landfill sampling. Concept Number of shoes produced world-wide in 2012 Waste tonnes of post consumer shoes deposited in landfills in 2012
Amount 20,896,050,000. ~ 21 billion pairs 8,880,614 tonnes
Some studies have buried footwear pair samples in landfills for a year and then retrieved them for degradation analysis. Samples are usually retrieved but traceability is scant. More studies are needed here.
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3.- Analysis. LCA and other.
On average two LCA studies on footwear and leather have been published every year for the past decade. LCA studies have produced most precise calculations for the first phases in the lifespan of footwear most notably on materials, manufacturing and transportation issues. Other phases, like the end-of-life or disintegration of the product in landfills have been less properly studied. Footwear life use phase impact on global warming arises only from the washing of the shoes. . Footwear while being in use is one of the most eco-friendly products in existence.
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3.- Analysis. Reuse & recycling. Mayor brands of sports footwear are processing some 1.5 million pairs per year. Other entities, mostly charities are also collecting and redistributing footwear being thus reused. Cost-benefit analysis for potential markets for recycled-reused footwear has still to be completed.
There are footwear made of tires. If a tire has a warranty of 60,000 miles (~100,000 kilometers), does this means that the footwear made from it should have a warranty for 25 years?
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4.- Conclusions: Mean life results. Mean life of footwear from source. Standard usage Laboratory testing Landfills analysis Recycling data
Months. 8.9 17.1 10.29 11
The four approaches used for quantifying this variable proved to have value, giving results on a similar scale. There are more tonnes of footwear in landfills every year than what was previously thought. The current LCA analysis and global warming potential calculations should be adjusted by a factor of between 11 and 18%, pending further consolidation of these results. In landfills, whole post-grave decomposition of half the total footwear buried would take more than 67 years. 18
4.- Conclusions: Mean life results. Mean life from standard usage* data by Footwear Type
Preliminary results in months.
14.7 8.5 9.2 9.3 2.3 9.8 4.1 20.7 5.2 9.9 11.2 5.6 6.8 7.4 8.9 Total: *Fashion trends and patterns of usage are incorporated in the standard usage calculations. Boot cowboy Boot women Casual men Casual women Children/baby Dress men Dress women Industrial Other (orthopedic) Sandal men Sandal women School boys School girls Tennis
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Concluding remarks. Sustainability. Footwear have great durability, as for a long time it has been possible, technically speaking, to make it last years if not decades. Market and consumption goals coupled with fashion are the counter forces creating a greater demand than needed. Traditionally sustainability has been looked after through improved material efficiency, as well as elimination of many hazardous materials during the production phase. Footwear is a most eco-friendly/sustainable product on its use phase.
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Concluding remarks. Social responsibility. When quantifying the mean life of footwear there are other aspects of the situation that come to light and that should be properly addressed when speaking of the social responsibility of the footwear industry. Durability of the product
Barefoot people
Social Responsibility
Unequal accumulation
Health & comfort
Thank you. Antonio Ruiz Mariscal mariscal@ciatec.mx
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There are a minimum of 760 million barefooted people in the world today, that would see their life significantly improved, with less diseases hampering them if more durable and comfortable footwear were made available to them.