Evonik Industries: VESTAMID® eCO gives scrap tires a new lease of life in sneakers

Latest: Evonik has added a new member to its eCO product line to reduce its environmental impact. The products in Evonik’s eCo all use a mass balance approach that reduces CO2 emissions by using renewable or recycled feedstocks.

In the new polyamide 12 elastomer officially unveiled at 2022K, 50% of the fossil-based raw materials traditionally used in production have been replaced by alternative materials obtained from the chemical recycling of scrap tires. The company uses only renewable energy to produce the material, reducing its carbon footprint by 42 percent.

According to Evonik, this kind of technology is called Vestamid eCO.
The new molding compound of E40 is a member of the polyether block amide (PEBA) family, an alternative to fossil-based molding compounds, but with an improved ecological balance.

These thermoplastic elastomers have long been valued by sporting goods manufacturers, such as in sports shoe soles. by the new eCO
The grades produce soles with the same excellent low temperature impact strength, chemical resistance and high elasticity, and can be easily colored, processed and over-injected.

For companies, the mass balance approach is a relatively quick way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from their existing plants.
The method allows for large-scale production while being cost-effective and can meet the company’s environmental and sustainability goals.

It involves mixing virgin fossils with renewable or recycled raw materials into existing systems and processes.
The amount of renewable resources is then allocated in proportion to specific products and certified by an independent third party (such as ISCC) to verify the use of renewable or recycled resources in all stages of production.