In recent years, you may have seen photos on the news of lakes and ponds in China that have become bright green due to the abnormally large amount of algae that has grown there. In many cases, this is caused by domestic wastewater entering the lake or pond, causing eutrophication, which leads to the proliferation of algae. Red tides in the ocean are caused by the same mechanism. In biology, this phenomenon is known as a "bloom."
Many of the algae that cause blooms produce toxins that can harm other aquatic organisms and humans. The occurrence of algal blooms is complex, and their mechanisms are still unclear, making accurate predictions and forecasts difficult. For this reason, how to treat algal blooms and reduce the harm they cause has become an important issue in aquatic environmental protection .
Meanwhile, I would like to introduce an article that describes efforts to find ways to utilize this algae bloom, and the successful commercialization of sandals that utilize the material.
VivobarefootXbloom | May 2017 | BlogThese sandals were commercialized by Vivobarefoot , a British shoe manufacturer famous for its minimalist running shoes. They are a little-known brand that develops products based on the philosophy that walking and running barefoot brings optimal health to the feet.
Vivobarefoot's flagship line is the ULTRA III series, a water-resistant, amphibious athletic shoe. While typically made from petroleum-derived ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) polymer, a new version was released in July 2017 that blends 60% EVA with 40% algae. Algae is harvested before blooming, processed into a flexible rubber, and then mixed with EVA. Harvesting the amount of algae needed to make one pair of these sandals purifies 57 gallons (approximately 216 liters) of water .
Source: https://www.vivobarefoot.com/uk/blog/may-2017/vivobarefootxbloom#
Galahad Clark, founder of Vivobarefoot, said:
"We knew that EVA polymer is primarily a petrochemical-based material and is not a sustainable source, so we were on the lookout for a good alternative to EVA."
It seems that they went through a lot of trial and error before actually using algae as a material. Their shoes have a unique design with many hexagonal holes, so there were some challenges in areas where the material needed to stretch and contract quickly, but they overcame these challenges and were able to bring the product to market.
Asher Clark, Creative Director at Vivobarefoot, added:
"I feel a little better than the EVA product. It smells a little like spirulina."
I would encourage you to take a look at the product photos at the link. The design is lovely and very cool. It's not that it sells because it's made from algae and is environmentally friendly, but rather the product itself must be attractive and make people want to buy it. Not only is the product itself attractive enough, but the fact that it also has an environmentally friendly story behind it is cool and will likely give consumers an extra push in their decision to buy.
