Edible seaweed-based packaging, dissolvable polyvinyl alcohol grocery bag, bioplastic from apple and orange waste, Levi’s cottonized hemp, biobased composite car seat, and more: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of March 28th

#6 SAOLA utilizes algae and cork in their eco-friendly shoes

In France, SAOLA launched stylish shoes that are made with recycled algae foam for the outsoles, recycled plastic bottles (PET) for the uppers, organic cotton for the laces, and cork for the top layer of insoles. SAOLA partnered with Bloom Foam to harvest harmful algae and create eco-friendly, bio-sourced materials for the insoles and outsoles of their shoes.

Bloom Foam removes harmful algae from the water and puts it through a process that dries, crushes and converts it into powder. This powder is then mixed with EVA (a synthetic material) to become Algae Foam, used for sole construction. Using Algae Foam allows us to use fifteen to twenty percent less synthetic materials in their soles, cleans lakes of harmful algae, and prevents the release of CO2 into the atmosphere, according to SAOLA.

Cork is used for the top layer of the shoe insoles as they are odor resistant, reduce joint stress and mold to the shape of your foot, according to SAOLA. Cork is also a renewable material harvested from the bark of cork trees. This process causes no harm to the trees. In fact, harvesting the bark can extend the trees lifespan to over 200 years.
More on the story, here.