SHOEDES - Footwear Design for the Circular Economy (MOOC) (SHOEDES-MOOC OPEN)

The unit, "Circular Economy in the Footwear Industry – Legislation, Concepts and Principles," is designed to provide learners with a comprehensive overview of the circular economy and its applications in the footwear industry. The course will cover the legal framework and regulations that govern the footwear industry and how these can be leveraged to foster a circular economy.

Circular economy principles are critical in reducing the environmental impact of the footwear industry, which is notorious for its wasteful practices. This course will introduce learners to the core principles of circular economy and how they can be applied in the footwear industry. Additionally, learners will explore the concepts of product design, material selection, reuse, repair, and recycling in the footwear industry.

Throughout the course, learners will engage in a range of activities, including case studies, quizzes, and interactive discussions. By the end of the course, learners will have a comprehensive understanding of the circular economy and how it can be applied in the footwear industry to minimize waste and promote sustainability.

Footwear designers need to know sustainable materials and resources before starting design of shoe. In this course, students learn to choose among sustainable materials and resources to design and develop process of footwear within perspective of sustainability, environmental protection and circular economy. Thus, the designer will be able to keep in mind materials' choice according to the traceability, the end-of-life, recycling, repair and reuse of the materials during design process. 

In this unit, the students learn to rethink the design and development process of footwear concepts and collections in terms of applying the principles of sustainability and environmental protection. The values of a circular economy are studied and directions for action are drawn for designers to follow. Thus, the traceability of materials at the stage of their selection for a new product, the imagination of design concepts by considering what happens to the product at the end of its life, the separation by materials and components and their recycling, the increase of the duration of use of the footwear by providing at the design stage elements that allow the repair and reuse of the product are basic strategies in the different stages of the design process. 

“Sustainable footwear manufacturing” involves all methods allowing to produce shoes in an environment-friendly way, with environment-friendly materials (such as biodegradable or recycled / recyclable materials), with less resources (in terms of operations, labour, materials, energy).

“Sustainable footwear manufacturing” on shop-floor level means to apply up-to-date processes and to strive for optimum work results. It means to put the emphasis on quality, to eliminate waste, reworks, and rejects. It means to finish orders in time to avoid air shipping. It means to organise processes, operations and workplaces in a way to enable the workers to achieve the best possible quality. It means to go deeper into the sustainability movement of circular supply chain practices and moving on from the 'cradle-to-grave' supply chain practice of product manufactured, distributed, used and thrown out, into a philosophy of “cradle-to-cradle” supply chain practices.

A “sustainable shoe” does not only depend on the materials used but also on the construction method, on the circular design practices adopted, on the decision on a circular logistical lifecycle. For example, and in general, a shoe with a stitched-on sole is more sustainable than a shoe with a cemented sole because it can be repaired and is therefore more durable − but also a lot more expensive. Footwear in the reverse logistics flow can be redistributed, repaired for continued use, remanufactured in case of defects, or recycled into parts and materials that have been carefully selected for this purpose.

When a production technician starts his/her job, the decision on design, construction method, etc. has already been made, the materials and equipment are already defined a circular supply chain.

The management of a company must imperatively understand the concrete needs on the production floor, i.e. the importance of a thorough production planning, of organising a constant and smooth production flow, of organising the workplaces, and of the machines and tools needed to perform each operation. The focus should be set on delivery in time, without overproduction, and possibly without rework or reject.

A sustainable approach in shoe manufacturing is always to concentrate on supply chain and operations which add value and maintain the logical sequence of the work flow.

When going through the production steps (such as cutting / stitching / making / finishing room), the emphasis will not only be put on quality, productivity, or energy saving but also on best practices, explaining the general equipment set-up and how to execute the operations in a way to ensure a maximum service life of the machines and optimum work results.

This Training Unit will focus on what is possible to do at the supply chain and shop-floor level combined with design decisions, to make footwear manufacturing more sustainable.

Following these best practices given in this course will help to make footwear production more sustainable, and they have a direct impact on results, processes, and decision making.

Understanding Market and Consumers behaviours is a key factor success for organisations which will operate on the footwear circular economy sector.

In a circular economy, markets and consumer behaviour are influenced by a different set of factors than in a traditional linear economy. Here are some of the themes which will be covered by the MOOC:

• Increased demand for circular products: As circular economy principles become more widely adopted, there is an increased demand for products that are designed to be reused, recycled, or repurposed. Consumers may be willing to pay a premium for products that have a lower environmental impact or that are made from recycled materials.
• Greater emphasis on product design: In a circular economy, product design is crucial to ensuring that products can be reused or recycled at the end of their life. Consumers are invited to be more interested in the design and sustainability credentials of products, and may be willing to choose products that have been designed with circular economy principles in mind.
• New business models: In a circular economy, businesses will adopt new business models in order to remain competitive. For example, a business will have to choose to offer a product as a service rather than selling it outright, which will change the way that consumers interact with the product and the way that value is created.
• Increased focus on waste reduction: In a circular economy, waste reduction is a key priority. This leads to increased demand for products that have a longer lifespan, or for products that can be easily repaired or refurbished.
• Greater transparency and traceability: In order to ensure that products can be reused or recycled, there needs to be greater transparency and traceability throughout the supply chain. Consumers are becoming more interested in the provenance of products and the sustainability credentials of the companies that produce them.
• Model of a circular economy consumer compared to a linear economy consumer
• Lack of consistency between consumers wishes and effective circular economy behaviours
• Change management of consumers
• Crucial role of information and product packaging information

The unit will be divided into learning modules/lectures, each focusing on a specific aspect of the circular economy, market and consumer behavior. Learners will gain an understanding of the role that consumers play in a circular economy model and how their behaviour affects the success of the model.

Consumer behaviour refers to the actions and decisions made by individuals and households when purchasing products or services. In the context of a circular economy, consumer behaviour plays a critical role in determining the success of the model. Consumers have the power to drive demand for sustainable products, support environmentally conscious companies, and reduce waste by making informed choices.

This learning unit will explore the psychological, social, and economic factors that influence consumer behaviour and how these can be leveraged to promote sustainable consumption patterns. Learners will also examine the impact of advertising and marketing on consumer behaviour and how these can be used to support a circular economy.

Through the unit, learners will also explore the latest trends in footwear fashion and market trends related to sustainability, circular economy, and eco-friendly products. They will learn how to identify and analyse these trends, and how to incorporate them into their products or services.

The unit will highlight the importance of customer feedback and how to use it to improve their products or services. Learners will also examine market research techniques and how to use them to better understand their target audience and how to identify and meet customer and market needs in the circular economy.

Finally, learners will understand how to effectively promote their products or services through new ICTs and social media platforms. They will explore various digital marketing strategies and how to use them to reach their target audience. Learners will also examine the role of social media in the circular economy and how to use it to engage with customers and promote sustainable business practices. By the end of the module, students will have a deep understanding of how to effectively use digital marketing in the circular economy.

This unit is designed to provide learners with a comprehensive overview of the waste management strategies and best practices in the footwear sector.

Waste management is the collection, transport, processing, recycling or disposal, and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics. Waste management is also carried out to recover resources from it. Waste management can involve solid, liquid, gaseous or radioactive substances, with different methods and fields of expertise for each.

This course will familiarize the students the sources of waste in manufacturing process of the different types of shoes, waste collection procedures and valorisation of wastes.

Throughout the course, learners will engage in a range of activities, including case studies and quizzes. Moreover, role playing exercises will be included in order to encourage students to think more critically about complex and controversial subjects of waste management in footwear industry and to see situations from a different perspective.