Indosole Upcycles Wasted Tires Into Stylish Sandals

Planes, bikes, automobiles, your everyday means of transportation, have one thing in common. It's ring-shaped rubber tires. But did you know that these same tires cause pollution, kill marine life, and take thousands of years to decompose? Well, one company is giving tires a second chance and creating sandals. So that same rubber will take you on a new journey while fighting the climate crisis at the same time. How? Well, stick around, because that's what we're here for. How are tires contributing to the climate crisis? How are these sandals made? And how does this process help the environment? But most importantly, we'll talk to the group that's upcycling all of this into this. This is Kyle Parsons. He's recycling indestructible tires into some of the world's most durable footwear. Motorcycle is the top mode of transportation in Indonesia, which then creates lots of tire waste. So the tire was a unique symbol of a solution that could be turned into a fashionable product. In 2009, Kyle founded Indosol, an environmentally-conscious sandal brand manufactured in Bali, Indonesia and based out of San Francisco, California. The company is on a social mission to prevent waste tires from ending up in our landfills or the ocean, and instead repurposing them into stylish sandals. Kyle's vision came to life after a 2004 trip to Bali, where he purchased a pair of sandals with soles made from motorbike tires. The unique shoe made him question the worldwide tire problem and the devastating environmental impact on our climate. What you see is you see a lot of plastic and debris washing up on the shores, washing up on the beaches and also clogging the riverways, which can obviously be, you know, quite gross and a turnoff for the tourism industry, but it's also quite dirty and can lead to the spread of illness and bacteria. With everything he learned about tire waste pollution, Kyle was determined to be part of the solution and returned to Bali to create sustainable and environmentally-friendly footwear. He was captivated by the country's landscape and culture and hoped that through his work, he could help alleviate Indonesia's pollution problem. Indosol is able to recycle 100% of each tire they collect, and each signature sole is made from 40% recycled tire, 30% natural rubber, and 30% new material, and they're crafted by Balinese artisans. The certified B Corp company puts purpose, people, and planet at the forefront of everything they do and is transparent with their operations. Soles are made out of tire cutouts, while uppers are constructed from natural materials such as organic canvas, grass, or banana leaves. After some R&D, Indosol was able to create a formula to pulverize tires into tiny grains and combine that tire powder with recycled foam and some synthetic rubber to create a durable sole. Our sandals are known to last the longest on the soles, and they're also made for really rugged terrain. So, for example, if you're in Hawaii and you're walking over lava fields, which are known to be very sharp and strong rock material, then it's not going to shred the slippers. These Indosols are going to charge right through. So our soles are basically indestructible, and they're going to last for years. Here's how the company turns all those tires into new footwear. To begin, the Indosol team picks up truckloads of tire donations from mechanics and tire shops in Indonesia. The tires are brought and stored at a processing facility, where they are then cleaned. Next, the tires are separated, and large ones are broken down into big chunks. Those chunks and full tires then go through a grinding machine that pulverizes the tire into fine grains. Those grains then get bagged up and sent over to the Sandal Manufacturing Factory. There, a mixture of the tire crumb and other recycled materials come together and form big, long sheets. Those sheets are then pressed into molds to make the soles. Then the soles move to another department, where they adhere it to the upper, which is made out of natural rubber mix, recycled content, and other organic materials. The straps are then sewn on using an electric sewing machine. Finally, all the parts are put together, and a beautiful, strong sandal is created. Once all the materials are ready to assemble, each shoe is made in just five minutes. The company makes about 10,000 pairs of sandals in one day, getting between six to eight pairs of sandals per tire. Wow. Each shoe design is even inspired by nature. Kyle says the colors are a representation of the essential elements in our everyday lives. We have a leaf green sandal, which represents the rainforest and the protection of the rainforest. We have a shore blue sandal, which of course represents protecting the oceans. Our soil brown represents the earth and keeping the soil clean from toxins leaking into it. Black sandal represents the tire. And then we have a sea salt white, which represents the minerals and the salts and the spice trade also of Indonesia. So why is being part of the solution so important to Indosol? Well, there are about 1.5 billion waste tires discarded annually worldwide. All those tires could cover the entire surface of Bali two times. That's astonishing. These tires sit all over the place in stockyards, illegal dumping sites, even rivers. In some developing countries, tires are even being converted for use as a cheap alternative to fuel. But that process creates tons of toxic oils and fumes that are harmful to human health. Old tires can also become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, which lead to diseases like malaria and dengue fever. It is almost impossible to get rid of these things because of their structure. It takes thousands of years for one tire to decompose. So the first tire ever made is maybe still out there somewhere. Can you imagine? In the early days of rubber tires, they were made entirely of natural rubber, often derived from Brazilian rubber trees. Today, though, a mixture of natural and synthetic rubber is being used. Not only that, but every time you drive your car or motorcycle, tiny pieces of tire get left behind. Over the lifetime of one tire, about 30% of its mass comes off as microplastic particles, which in turn all get washed into creeks, storm drains, and the ocean with rain and wind. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, tires are the second largest source of primary microplastic pollution in the ocean, only second after synthetic textiles. In the U.S., that's two million tons of tire particles released into the environment each year. Imagine how much that is worldwide. And speaking of worldwide, Indosol's manufacturing home is facing major pollution issues. Indonesia is the second biggest contributor to marine plastic debris worldwide. In 2010, approximately 1.29 million tons, over 40% of plastic waste produced in the country ended up in the ocean. But the Indonesian government has plans to turn that around. They have a goal to reduce plastic waste in the country and cut ocean plastic waste by 70% by 2025 and go entirely plastic pollution free by 2040. Indosol wants to keep a million tires from ending up in landfills and giving them new life as sandals and other products. So far, the company has collected around 120,000 tires, making between 100,000 to 200,000 pairs of sandals each year. Indosol's main mission is to inspire people to live a more fulfilled and conscious life. They've also provided jobs to many Indonesian craftspeople and taught educational programs in recycling to the country's youth. It starts with our youth and having them understand that they can't just throw plastic on the ground, you know, that they should be doing multiple things. What we've done is partnered with different groups in Indonesia and otherwise to help spread this education and to get the word out there. So it's, for us, it's beyond our crew, but also partnering with the right organizations to deliver a more powerful message that is worldwide. And we do that through a pair of sandals, but the idea is to get people thinking at a higher level. So if we can just get people thinking and more aware of the products around them that are reusing waste, then we feel like we're doing our job. They don't just make sandals, either. Indosol also makes products like coasters and luggage tags from the tire scraps that were not used in sandal production. And they told us they're working on creating a path to collect and recycle used sneakers, too. This year, in 2022, Indosol will be releasing an amazing new technology where we use what we call sneaker to sole, or the lost sole, which we have salvaged sneaker waste, which come from major footwear companies. They're sole parts, and we're able to take that from a sneaker that didn't make the cut and be able to grind it up and be able to make it into soles. This is a great new technology, which we'll be releasing this year. Indosol will also be producing products in partnerships and catering towards Central and South America, showing the world that this is not just an Asia or an Indonesia mission. This is a global mission. Together, we can reduce tire waste and turn waste products into more functional products worldwide. Want to help clean up tire pollution yourself? There's a role we can all play. Friends of the Earth share some tips on how the government and local authorities can cut tire pollution, like more frequent road cleanings or ways to catch debris and microplastics before they make it into our waterways. They even suggest government testing and labels to make it clear how resistant each type of tire is to wear and tear. The industry can do their part, too, by making tires more resilient to wear and tear and finding materials that are biodegradable. If you personally want to make a change, here's a few things you can do. Choose public transportation or carpool when you can. If you do drive, go gently. This can reduce tire wear and therefore microplastic shedding. So that's about it. What do you think? Do you think tire waste is a big problem? Have you ever come across it in your everyday life? And what other ways can you stop pollution from entering the ocean? Let us know in the comments below.