US shoe manufacturer Rothy’s has branched out into knitted bags, and marine plastic is the latest material to hit the production line.
In 2016, after four years of research and development, Rothy’s was launched with just two knitted shoe styles – the Flat and the Point. The brand has since grown to include three more styles in its core women’s collection – two styles for children and several limited-edition collections. It is said that 85% of the 12 billion shoes produced every year find their way to landfills. With this waste in mind, as well as witnessing the waste involved in the manufacturing process of traditional shoe making, Rothy’s focused on a sustainable material: a signature plastic water bottle yarn.
The brand says: “Every minute, one million water bottles are sold globally. By making our signature thread from plastic bottles, we keep them out of landfills.”
Rothy’s continues: “Our inquisitive spirit led to years of research and development in environmentally responsible manufacturing. And the result? A completely transformative production process – and a whole new way to craft goods.”
On 3 March 2020, Rothy’s launched its latest sustainable material in an expansion into a brand new category for the company: bags.
The bags are over a year in the making and come in a range of five styles in bright colours and patterns. Knit to shape using 100% recycled materials, the collection introduces a new sustainable material: marine plastic.
To date, the company has transformed over 51 million plastic water bottles into their signature flexible and durable thread. The entire bag collection is knit with a unique 100% recycled blend of marine plastic collected within 30 miles of coastlines and marine environments mixed with Rothy’s signature thread spun from single-use water bottles.
The company says: “Once blended with Rothy’s signature thread, this unique combination becomes soft and structured – resulting in beautiful bags only Rothy’s can make.”
Every year, around eight million tons of plastic escape into oceans as a result of human activity near coastal areas. “Plastic waste is highest in spots without recycling programmes,” says Rothy’s. To make the biggest impact, we source marine plastic from these communities. Earth’s precious oceans deserve to be pristine. And we’re dedicated to be doing our part.”
And the sustainable approach doesn’t end there. What’s more, the 3D knitting process, which was adapted for production of Rothy’s shoes, allows for each bag to be knit to shape, thus reducing waste and consumption seen in more traditional cut-and-sew methods of manufacturing.
Rothy’s factory is in Dongguan China where, once a computer-aided design has been created in the San Francisco design studio, the China workshop team begin to knit the product. The 3D-knit machines in the factory are programmed to make precise sizes and knit the shell with no other manufacturers involved in the production process.
“Our innovative knit machines are programmed to precise size levels, which means we dramatically reduce waste on our production line,” says Rothy’s. “Sustainability is knitted into our DNA.”
Co-founder and CEO of Rothy’s, Roth Martin, says: “We recycle everything, whatever falls on the floor and whatever our employees bring in,” says Martin. “I grew up in San Francisco. Recycling was at the forefront of thinking all around me. It’s why I want to make goods in a responsible way.”
All bags are fully machine washable, with bags featuring hardware, such as the Dual-Zip Crossbody for example, coming with a wash bag to prevent scuffing on the hardware.
“Just like Rothy’s shoes, our first-ever collection of bags features beautiful design elements at every turn,” says the company. “Expert craftsmanship and thoughtful details complement each style, because we know what’s on the inside counts just as much.”
Rothy’s strives for zero waste and uses recycled and renewable materials in packaging also. The company’s vegan and biodegradable shoe boxes are 100% recyclable and resealable, so no tape is required in the returns process.
Rothy’s also partners with Carbon Fund through the Envira Amazonia Project – A Tropical Forest Conservation Project – which offsets the fossil fuels used by the company for shipping, and credits directly benefit the Amazon rainforest in Brazil as well as the reduction of pollution and conversion of biofuels in the US. In 2018, Rothy’s reported a carbon offset of 2,522 tons.
“We believe every aspect of our business should be good for the planet,” says the company. “This is why we infuse sustainability into everything we possibly can, even our packaging and shipping.”
The unique combination of marine plastic with the brand’s signature thread results in accessories that are soft, structured, durable and 100% machine washable.
“We started with shoes, and brought a new kind of design, function, comfort and sustainability to footwear,” says Rothy’s. “With this new expansion, Rothy’s will transform how the handbags we carry today are made, as well as how they look and feel. The Bag Collection is made for modern life on the go. The bags are designed to be not only beautiful, but also flexible, machine-washable, and long-lasting – innovative functional features, wrapped in beautiful design.”
Source: www.wtin.com