Vibram & bluesign® Announce Partnership

Vibram & bluesign® Announce Partnership Vibram, the global producer of high-performance rubber soles and bluesign®, the Swiss material verification solutions firm, have announced the elevation of Vibram to a bluesign system partner. The collaborative relationship began two years ago when they worked together to analyze the industry’s basic chemical requirements, from internal operations to raw material usage, Collecting information from suppliers that identifies the harmful substances commonly utilized in the manufacturing of footwear. Following that outreach, Vibram and Bluesign worked with chemical suppliers to develop strategies to reduce or replace the use of harmful compounds in footwear components. Now, they have jointly committed to working together to analyze and certify the inputs in Vibram’s Component Shoe, a glue-free footwear design featuring Ecostep Recycle, a compound made with 30 percent recycled Vibram rubber, and Ecostep Natural, made with 90 percent natural, non-synthetic ingredients. Daniel Rüfenacht, Bluesign CEO, said “By offering expertise in chemical management, our mission is to reduce environmental impact and provide critical knowledge for making essential changes.” Source