Tech

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!

Salomon Index.01 recyclable running shoe

If you love sports gear and footwear as much as I do, you may also share my twinge of guilt, because the manufacture of such products is seldom environmentally friendly. Running shoes, for example, are usually made of so many different materials (leather, EVA, rubber, TPU, polyester, polyamide), that they can’t really be separated at end of life – so they end up in landfill or incinerated. Salomon has tackled this with the fully recyclable new Index.01 –an all-around running shoe that not only performs on the roads but can later be recycled and used to create future products.

The Index.01 is made of only two materials: a recycled polyester upper and a thermoplastic-based sole unit, both of which can be recycled into granules and yarn to make new footwear at end of life. Being from Salomon, it is first and foremost a performance shoe – but, of course, as we expect from one of the most photographed footwear brands at fashion weeks worldwide, it also looks bang on trend.

£185, salomon.com

Tom Ford Ocean Plastic watch

OK, so the wristwatch industry is hardly up there amongst the biggest culprits in the climate emergency, but what Tom Ford has done here is create a beautiful daily reminder of a critical issue. This Ocean Plastic watch has a case and strap made from 100% recycled ocean plastics and comes in recycled paper packaging. One watch on its own may not make much of a dent in the quantities of waste plastic clogging our oceans, however, this is an important product because it represents something essential: changing people’s mindsets. When high fashion makes a declaration like this, people follow. And that’s what the world needs.

£895, tomford.co.uk

SodaStream Spirit

It’s encouraging to see that we are largely embracing the idea of reusable bottles for drinks such as water and coffee – but what if you’re a sparkling water addict?

That’s still a sustainability nightmare, because buying a fizzy drink usually means a sealed, single-use receptacle. But wait – did you forget about SodaStream?

The latest SodaStream Spirit turns tap water into sparkling water in seconds. You can also infuse it with fruit as a healthy alternative to sugary drinks and even customise the fizz levels.

This megapack includes two one-litre and one halflitre BPA-free PET carbonating bottles, which have a lifespan of up to three years, and a CO2 gas cylinder, which makes up to 60 litres of sparkling water and works with a snap-lock bottle system for quicker, easier and more intuitive use.

£89.99, John Lewis