More than sustainable products, the Brazilian footwear industry, in line with a growing movement worldwide, has been adopting socially and environmentally correct production practices. Currently, the fifth largest footwear producer on the planet, the largest outside Asia, has been standing out as an international reference for clean production and aligned with ESG concepts. As it had to be, between the 21st and 23rd of May, at the Transamerica Expo Center, in S\u00e3o Paulo\/SP, the protagonism of the sector in the area will also be exposed in the 2nd edition of BFSHOW, the largest footwear fair in Brazil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A research released last year by the Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (Abical\u00e7ados) points out that more than 95% of Brazilian companies in the sector work with environmentally adequate disposal of their productive waste; 79% of industries perform control of restricted substances; and 62% of industries consume electricity 100% from renewable sources. \"These are data that corroborate the intense work carried out to adapt the production of footwear to the new reality of a more conscious consumption and oriented towards sustainability not only environmental, but also social. Today, people want to know what they are consuming, where the product they are wearing comes from, and companies that are not adapted to this new world tend to have many difficulties in the market, especially internationally\u201d, evaluates the executive president of the entity, Haroldo Ferreira.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In practice
At BFSHOW, a fair that already has more than 230 footwear brands that account for 80% of the national production of the sector, 75% of the footwear industries certified in the Sustainable Origin program, the only ESG certification for companies in the footwear production chain in the world, will be present. One of the companies confirmed at BFSHOW is Tess, manufacturer of the Kenner and Redley brands, which bets on the footwear show to leverage an ambitious internationalization project. \u201cWe do not want to export price, we want to export added value to demanding markets and these markets require sustainability, with consumers wanting to know the origin of the manufacture of their products,\u201d says the company's CEO, Thomas Simon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the highlights of Tess is environmental sustainability in its production process. With heavy investments in technology and innovation, Tess reduced raw material disposal by 50% from 2021 to 2023. By 2026, the goal is to reduce another 50%. \u201cAnother important point is our product. We have developed a shoe to last more than ten years, without exaggeration. With this, we reduce the waste disposal\u201d, highlights Simon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Representing the sustainability of the children's footwear segment, Bibi will also be at BFSHOW. The company, certified in Sustainable Origin, counts as one of its pillars the concern with sustainability and has created goals and commitments in the area to be achieved by 2030. Among the commitments are: to achieve 100% compliance of products manufactured in the Reach Standard (Regulation No. 1907\/2006 European Parliament) regarding toxicity, to reduce by 20% the generation of waste in the development of new products and industrial operations, among others. \"We believe that, increasingly, consumers are prioritizing brands with initiatives that contribute to society and the environment. In this way, in addition to offering a quality product that respects the happy and healthy development of children, we are a company that aims to reduce the impacts of operations on nature\u201d, comments the company's president, Andrea Kohlrausch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n