In Conversation with The 8 Impact: Diverting sneakers from incineration and landfills
Image by Pexels Liza Summer
19 February 2025
Can you tell us about The 8 Impact, how it started, and what the organisation does?
Hélène Guerret and I, two women with deep expertise in the retail industry, decided to find a solution to divert sneakers from incineration and landfills. We envisioned freeing the Chilean and African coasts from this overwhelming waste.
With the energy crisis, the textile industry under scrutiny, and shoe stocks either incinerated or exported without sustainable solutions, we didn’t just talk about ecological transition—we stepped directly into what comes next: circular loops, material expertise, and resource optimisation.
What problem is your innovation solving and how does the technology work?
We enable brands to reduce their impact by using recycled materials whose performance and price are the same as new materials, for their production in Europe or Asia. And we are the first company in the world to do so!
Three years of R&D went into developing a process to separate the materials found in sneakers and tennis balls. We discovered that the rubber components in sneakers had intrinsic value and should be collected and regenerated to replace new materials.
The result: we built a recycling plant in Ain, where sneakers enter whole and exit as regenerated materials. We developed the most advanced regeneration method on the market, capable of replacing a significant share of virgin materials.
We have also built the largest knowledge base on technical elastomers, with 10 million data points integrated into a predictive tool.
The outcome: adaptive formulations that meet our clients’ technical specifications. We master performance research and toxicological compliance, ensuring our materials meet the highest standards required by brands.
What have been the biggest successes so far?
- Since 2023, we have been producing regenerated elastomers for VEJA— a world first!
We integrate 70% regenerated rubber from post-consumer VEJA sneakers while maintaining performance properties.
By doing so, we save 1 ton of CO₂ equivalent for each ton of regenerated rubber.*
Comparison with current practices:
Using 50% pre-consumer (non-regenerated) granules reduces durability by a factor of three and worsens the LCA compared to using 100% new material.
* Method: CFF Formula (Circular Footprint Formula) developed by the European Commission Standards ISO14040 and 14044
What role does collaboration play in bringing innovations to scale?
We have our own PhDs on the team, yet we also collaborate with leading research universities, ensuring that we remain in a continuous pursuit of better quality and greater sustainability.
We work closely with brands and material innovation teams, but the real challenge lies in aligning with their manufacturers and getting them on board. When that alignment happens, we know we have a winning solution.
At the end of the day, brands will design with our materials, but the true customers are the manufacturers. As innovators, this is our biggest challenge: bridging the gap between design intent and industrial reality.
Bringing all stakeholders to the table with clear governance is the key to success!
How has Fashion for Good played a role in your journey so far?
I met Fashion for Good in Boston last June during an event organised by The Footwear Collective. I quickly realised that the vision I was developing in France aligned perfectly with what FFG and TFC were envisioning for Europe and the U.S. Since then, we have felt that FFG can provide us with valuable exposure.
We need to scale up as soon as possible and secure more commitments from brands to increase our production capacity and enrich our database with even more qualified data to better serve our clients. But most importantly, volume is key to ensuring that our materials reach price parity with virgin materials—this is non-negotiable, and our clients have made it very clear.
Expecting brands or even consumers to pay more is simply not realistic.
What’s next for you?
We are reaching the end of our R&D cycles with some of our clients and are now receiving initial orders for a few tonnes (around 10 tonnes).The next step is to scale up our rubber production to fulfil larger orders, closer to 200 tonnes.
Additionally, we have a major program focused on regenerating EVA (the expanded foam in sneakers) and are aiming to file for a patent by the end of the year.
Lastly, what advice would you give consumers trying to be more sustainable?
Hey sneaker lovers, here’s a pro tip: your old kicks don’t belong in the food bin!
Most people think they can only donate shoes that are still wearable—but guess what? We have a solution for ALL sneakers, no matter their condition!
And about those “recycled” sneakers you’re eyeing… take a closer look. Not all recycling is created equal! Many so-called recycled shoes just grind up old sneakers and mix them into soles. The problem? These granules are totally inconsistent, they don’t bond properly with the material, and they often wear off quickly, ending up scattered on the pavement.
Here’s a simple test: if the grains in your sole are bigger than flour, the durability of your shoe is way lower than a non-recycled one. Real sustainability isn’t just about sprinkling in waste—it’s about engineering real, lasting materials. We’re here to make that happen!
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