Textile Insight

OrthoLite Introduces a Pure Foam Alternative to Conventional Plastics. esigning for circularity has become the rallying cry of the textile industry with OrthoLite's recent innovation a prime example of the direction responsible busi- nesses want to go to achieve a more sustainable future. With the launch of Cirql, OrthoLite not only introduces the first EVA plastics-free, recyclable and industrially-compostable midsole foam with an end of life solution, but also branches out from its well-established insoles business. Cirql is made from responsibly-sourced plants and bio- degradable materials and offers a pure foam alternative to conventional plastics. "If we were going to introduce our first midsole foam, we were going to do it right," said Glenn Barrett, founder and CEO of the Amherst, MA-based company during a video presentation of the product launch earlier this month. "Worldwide footwear production has increased by over 20 percent since 2010 with no signs of slowing down. As an industry, the onus is on all of us to help mitigate our environmental impact on the planet. It's going to take an industry wide commitment and a concerted effort, and Cirql is a major step in that direction." Cirql is headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The flagship factory, the Cirql Center of Excellence, is designed for zero-waste production and end-of-life solutions. "The model can be used as a template for footwear brands and their Tier 1 factory partners to move away from traditional foam materials and processes and into a new era for sustainable footwear manufacturing," said GM and Cirql VP Matt Smith. Development Details We reached out to OrthoLite to to learn more about specific materials aspects of Cirql. Here's what they told us: What is the responsibly-sourced plant base? Cirql is powered by a bouquet of responsibly-sourced plants like sunflower and cardoon. Cirql is certified USDA Biopreferred, and the plant sources are non GMO, and non-food and feed in origin. What are the biodegradable materials? The biodegradable materials are a proprietary range of biodegradable organic di-acids which are utilized to create the biopolymer used to foam Cirql. These di-acids are combined with the plant-based monomers to create carbon chain polymer molecules that can be chemi- cally recycled back into new Cirql biopolymer pellets or Organically recycled (through Biodegradation the polymer is transformed into CO2, Water and Biomass). How long does the industrial composting take to com- plete? Years? Decades? How is this data determined? Regarding the industrial composting timeline, it depends on the thickness of the parts and the specific industrial com- posting conditions being used. In theory that timeline could be several months to less than a year. Cirql has achieved EN 13432 and ASTM D6400 for industrially-compostable certification utilizing the test methods ISO 14855 and ASTM D5338. These are the minimum standard requirements for certification, which Cirql has achieved. This includes: Biodegration: At least 90% of Cirql material biodegrades in six months, which is the lab standard. The exact duration of the entire process depends on the type of composting facility. Disintegration: The material has to disintegrate to less than 2mm in less than three months and after the testing is complete (after 6 months), Ecotoxicology: The soil should have low or no levels of heavy metals, there should be no evidence of negative effects to the soil. Testing was performed under aerobic conditions which most simulate industrially compostable scenarios, which is the preferred method for Cirql. Although not intended for landfills, Cirql foam will fully biodegrade via anaerobic conditions. Describe the end-of-life logistics. At present, we are working on setting up an infrastructure and value chain for both of our end of life options. While we are working on this supply chain, we will work with brands to help them to construct their consumer messaging regarding end of life and the infrastructure for returning footwear to a centralized point where the shoes will be deconstructed and then sent for processing to one of a number of SOP- driven industrial composters. The infrastructure is already in place to support consumer take-back programs, and both apparel and footwear brands have already engaged in this process with many more to come. It's our job to provide end of life options and the brand owns the messaging around the process. Together we will figure it out. l IN THE MARKET | ECO-UPDATE Moving from Linear to Cirql 10 • Textile Insight ~ March/April 2022 textileinsight.com "As an industry, the onus is on all of us to help mitigate our environmental impact on the planet. It's going to take an industry wide commitment and a concerted effort, and Cirql is a major step in that direction." Glenn Barrett, founder and CEO, OrthoLite "The model can be used as a template for footwear brands and their Tier 1 factory partners to move away from traditional foam materials and processes and into a new era for sustainable footwear manufacturing. Matt Smith, GM and VP, Cirql Pellets are made from an industrially compostable biopolymer Pellets are then melted and mixed with liquid nitrogen under extreme pressure Combined molten mass is injected into a dedicated aluminium mold cavity at ballistic speed Effiicient Cycle Times reduce energy consumption and create a finished part with no curing

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