Maximum Respect for the Environment

Since 2011, COFRA has been producing clean energy through a photovoltaic system with a total nominal power of around 1.3 MW. The total area is approximately 10,000 m2, much larger than a regular soccer field for international matches. The photovoltaic system covers about 60% of the company's annual energy needs, which is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of about 500 households (3,000 kWh). We avoid emitting over 800 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year and about 16,000 tons over twenty years.

The ongoing research for environmental protection continues. The company's chemical laboratory is always working to find the best solutions to minimize the disposal of waste from production, which often has very slow biodegradability. A significant portion of the RUNNING footwear line is now made with a component of recycled rubber in the sole, enhancing its already excellent mechanical properties. We design the upper parts of our footwear to minimize production waste. We have gradually introduced more and more clothing items in our collection made from recycled and OEKOTEX certified fabrics, ensuring non-toxic and eco-sustainable production processes. In some of our clothing items, we use MODAL, a wood fiber alternative to synthetic fibers, produced through a sustainable and clean supply chain.

Waste from Shoe Sole Production ProcessSince the '80s, COFRA has been recycling waste from the production of thermoplastic materials for shoe soles. In 1995, COFRA started an installation that allowed the recovery of production waste (including thermosetting material) to produce one of our base materials for soles. This installation has remained one of the few in all of Europe and has achieved an excellent objective in avoiding the landfill disposal of over 2,000 tons of polyurethane waste, which has very slow biodegradability. Since 2012, a new activity has begun to recover and use production waste for sole production. In collaboration with partners and suppliers who have shown sensitivity to environmental issues, after a period of possible study and testing, this recovery activity is now routinely implemented. An important chemical-physical-technological development has led to the creation of a new formulation of materials for soles, which not only uses the recovery of sole materials but also allows the use of a considerable amount of thermosetting materials, which due to their nature are much less prone to recovery. This process is naturally included in the production processes, bringing a sustainable recovery of production waste that continuously increases.Waste from PVC Boot Injection ProcessCOFRA recovers 100% of the production waste from PVC for its boots.

The formation of shoe soles with polyurethane requires the use of releasing agents: For several years, COFRA has eliminated all toxic and hazardous substances to humans and the environment. After the injection process, the molds require a cleaning phase: COFRA first replaced chemical products with physical methods, and then switched to carbonate, a completely 'green' solution. We use water-based adhesive for constructing the uppers of our footwear, which is environmentally harmless.

Reduction, reuse, and recycling of packaging materials. Cofra replaces packaging materials with more sustainable alternatives. We use recycled cardboard boxes, recycled plastic wraps, innovative-shaped labels to avoid plastic tags. We reduce packaging materials by avoiding labels hanging from our shoes. We give our packaging boxes a second life by reusing them for shipping our goods.

COFRA also takes care of preserving water sources to make human life and the environment sustainable over time. This goal was achieved in 2013 through the construction of a network to collect, feed, and then distribute rainwater, starting from the reservoir and then with pumping systems for secondary use. The water is mainly used for watering green areas, gardens, nurseries, and for flushing toilet bowls and cleaning outdoor areas of roads, squares, and parking lots.

In the company, waste is collected separately in every sector. We replaced our lighting systems with LED installations. In our offices, we only use recycled paper. We welcome our customers and suppliers by serving food and drinks in ceramic and glass containers.

Being aware that using waste as a base material for production is one of the best practices for environmental sustainability, the company decided to create a polyurethane material made from its own production waste, thus avoiding the landfill disposal of a material with very slow biodegradability. From the work of COFRA's laboratories, POLY-GREEN was born, a material composed of pure polyurethane and recycled polyurethane carefully dosed and mixed to ensure a perfect balance between energy absorption and support, making work shoes very comfortable and safe. POLY-GREEN is used for the part of the sole placed in the foot area and for the heel. The research and development work was challenging but exciting, as opposed to casual shoes, work shoes have to meet their specific requirements for resistance, slip resistance, comfort, breathability, and ergonomics, and pass rigorous standard tests to be certified and placed on the market. The limitations for building shoes are greater. The search for eco-sustainable materials that also guarantee high performance led to this complete innovation in the global work footwear market: the first work shoes created with eco-sustainable materials.