Shoes are not something that people always consider
The fashion industry has come under scrutiny recently for its ethics and impact on the environment leading to a surge in eco fashion and ethical labels. Shoes are not something that people always consider when it comes to eco fashion. They may be only a small part of a whole outfit but they are a very important part and their manufacture can have just as many ethical and environmental implications as clothes.
Recently the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation issued warnings about the high levels of toxins in plastic shoes including flip flops, clogs and sandals from a number of countries including the Philippines, advising that the high levels present were injurious to human health and the environment. The tests which were carried out in cooperation with the EcoWaste Coalition and partner groups in India, Indonesia, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda found 17 of the 27 pairs of plastic shoes tested positive for phthalates which are associated with developmental and reproductive disorders, including incomplete testicular growth and decreased fertility in men. One particular Phthalate, DEHP is able to cause impaired fertility and harm to the unborn child. The shoes also tested positive for varying levels of heavy metals, many of which damaging to endocrine, nervous and reproductive systems, are carcinogenic and allergenic, and highly toxic to aquatic organisms.
Even supposedly safe plastic shoes that do not contain phthalates or heavy metals are made using petro chemicals, a non renewable resource and undoubtedly cause some sort of pollution and significant carbon dioxide emissions in their production.
Whilst many people might consider leather shoes, a natural and eco friendly alternative to plastic and synthetic shoes, they too have their own significant environmental impacts. The raising of the live stock where the leather comes from is in itself damaging for the environment as it causes high levels of carbon dioxide emissions. Whilst quite a lot of leather is a by product of meat, the income from the leather effects the cost of meat and therefore the supply and demand. Tanneries, where leather is produced, use a cocktail of potent chemicals including lead, zinc, formaldehyde, dyes and cyanide-based chemicals to remove the flesh from the skin and stabilise the structure of the leather.
