Eco-Friendly Flip Flops

Fashion : Love

27 August 2021

What... flip flops by Sleepers.

Why... Because this sustainable solution removes the need for plastic footwear.

As the age-old adage says: life is better in flip flops. Not much can beat the feeling of sun on your feet, whether you're traipsing the beaches of a sunny seaside destination or simply strolling the streets of London. And now you can do so safe in the knowledge that you're not contributing to plastic pollution, by opting for a pair of Sleepers.

Produced in Sri Lanka, the flip flops are made of natural rubber that have been tapped from trees of the same country. In fact, their whole value chain – definition: a set of activities that an organisation carries out to create value for its customers – is conducted there, meaning they have a lot more control of the process from start to finish. By using natural as opposed to synthetic rubber, they're ensuring that wherever the end destination of a pair of Sleepers' is, it won't be in the ocean. 9.5 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year, and two thirds of this comes from synthetic fibres and rubber. Whilst natural rubber isn't completely flawless, it's a lot better for our planet than the synthetic counterpart that's often found those styles.

Rest assured, their commitment to sustainability doesn't stop there. The natural rubber is tapped under Fair Trade conditions by Fair Rubber, ensuring the working and living conditions of the primary producers is ethical, as well as the tapping process that can effect the lifecycle of the rubber trees. Their packaging is plastic free, recycled FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified craft paper with natural ink and colours, and they even go as far as transporting all their products by sea. There's still work to be done of course – their compound contains 10-15 % synthetic rubber in order for the flip flops to have the correct consistency and quality – but they're working hard to produce sustainable solutions where they can. How can you help them do that? Make the flip to their 'flops.

Shop Sleepers' flip-flops here.