Swiss sports brand On AG presents the first shoe made from carbon emissions, called "Cloudprime". According to the company, this is a significant moment in On’s journey to move away from petroleum-based resources by creating a new foam material called "CleanCloud", made using carbon emissions as a raw material.
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On is the first company in the footwear industry to explore carbon emissions as a primary raw material for a shoe’s midsole, specifically ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam, which could also be used in other shoe parts and products in the future.
Born in the Swiss Alps the sports brand envisions a future where every On product is fossil-free and fully circular.
Holding the first-ever shoe made of carbon emissions in my hands is a huge milestone – not only for On, but for the whole sports industry. Five years ago, this was barely a dream. Imagine what can happen in the future as we unlock the potential of alternative carbon sources with further research and in collaboration with the best partners, explained Caspar Coppetti, Co-Founder and Executive Co-Chairman of On.
Pioneering supply chain partnership
CleanCloud is the result of five years of dedicated work, which began with finding the best possible supply chain partnership with some of the most innovative companies in biochemicals, process, and material innovation, including LanzaTech, Borealis, and Technip Energies – three of the most innovative companies in biochemicals, process, and material innovation.
This collaborative approach is key to overcoming the challenges of developing this complex technology at a commercial scale.
LanzaTech is using a combination of cutting-edge genetic engineering, state-of-the-art biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and innovations in mechanical and chemical engineering to manufacture chemicals using a process that utilizes waste carbon rather than emitting it.
Today we continue our journey to show the world that recycled carbon is a resource rather than a liability. As we increasingly convert pollution into the products we use in our daily lives, we will reduce the need to extract more carbon from the ground! The partnership between On, Borealis, Technip, and LanzaTech will change how the world thinks about sourcing carbon, enabling us to bend the carbon curve, keep our skies blue, and create a sustainable future for all, said Dr Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech.
Technip Energies is a leading engineering and technology company for the energy transition and in this consortium is in charge of the process of dehydrating ethanol to the gas ethylene, which is a monomer and the most important building block of widely used plastics.
Technip Energies is proud to be supporting On in this exciting project to make CleanCloud a reality. The application of our Hummingbird technology to produce bio-ethylene is one step to a more sustainable future. We look forward to working with the On team to scale up and help bring CleanCloud to the world, said Bhaskar Patel, SVP Sustainable Fuels, Chemicals & Circularity at Technip Energies.
Borealis is a leading provider of advanced, circular, and renewable plastic solutions and is essential in creating high-performance, easy-to-process EVA foam for CleanCloud.
This collaboration clearly underlines Borealis’commitment to a net zero future and fully aligns with its “EverMinds” ambition of accelerating circularity through partnerships.
Borealis is thrilled to be part of this unique value chain collaboration. With our creative partners On, LanzaTech, and Technip Energies we are proud to co-create circularity in carbon and decouple plastic from its reliance on fossil-based resources. Through innovation and collaboration, we continue re-inventing essentials for sustainable living, said Lucrèce Foufopoulos, EVP Polyolefins, Circularity, and Innovation & Technology at Borealis.
On’s ambition is to bring the CleanCloud technology to as many consumers as possible in the near future.
We believe that On can be an agent for positive change through enabling and accelerating the scale-up of sustainable technologies such as CleanCloud, said Caspar Coppetti.
Driven by the same spirit of sustainable innovation, On is collaborating with circular start-up Novoloop on the CleanCloud outsole, by utilizing the world’s first chemically upcycled thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) from post-consumer plastic waste.
The outsole was put under rigorous lab and athlete testing, meeting specifications comparable to fossil-derived TPUs with a significant carbon footprint reduction.
For the upper, On is collaborating with the young French start-up Fairbrics to create a polyester-based textile made from carbon emissions.
