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Every year, millions of pairs of safety footwear reach the end of their useful life. They are then usually thrown away, incinerated or buried. However, this PPE is made from raw materials that can be recovered as part of a circular economy approach. At Delta Plus, a virtuous reuse chain is being established.
Every year, millions of pairs of safety footwear reach the end of their useful life. They are then usually thrown away, incinerated or buried. However, this PPE is made from raw materials that can be recovered as part of a circular economy approach. At Delta Plus, a virtuous reuse chain is being established.
Positive impact, Safety tips
Update 04.05.26
Because its mission is to protect men and women at work, Delta Plus has naturally placed eco-responsibility at the heart of its strategy by committing to reducing its environmental impact.
This approach is evident right from the product design stage: Delta Plus has developed Greenball, a range incorporating 30% recycled materials, compliant with ISO 14021:2016, which specifies the requirements for environmental self-declarations.
Furthermore, at its factory in India, Delta Plus manufactures shoes with injected soles: this process generates offcuts, which were previously discarded but are now repurposed thanks to a new workshop set up by Delta Plus. This facility enables the offcuts to be collected, shredded and then reintroduced into the production cycle.
The shoes in Delta Plus’s sports range have been manufactured using this method.
Beyond the design stage, the end-of-life of safety footwear also presents an environmental challenge.
Indeed, a safety shoe consists of multiple layers, various materials (leather, textiles, foam, plastic, metal, rubber, etc.), and assemblies made by stitching, gluing or injection moulding. Dismantling them is quite complex, but specific solutions are being developed.
Sixton, the brand owned by Delta Plus, is now a member of the Green Gear Alliance (GGA): in the Benelux region, the GGA is a non-profit organisation committed to the circular processing of personal protective equipment (PPE).
It is working to develop a system for the collection, sorting, dismantling and recycling of used PPE. Products collected from users or distributors are sent to their sorting partners.
Regarding footwear, the partner is Fast Feet Grinded: it transforms old safety footwear into raw materials for manufacturers, to be used in the production of new footwear, coat hangers, furniture or even flooring.
“It’s a great initiative that’s helping to shape an emerging sector. It gives a new lease of life to products that are difficult to recycle, whilst reducing the environmental impact,” says Julie Jacquier, Footwear Product Specialist at Delta Plus.
Furthermore, a French trial is currently underway involving PVC boots. Delta Plus is working to establish a partnership with a major player in the construction industry to collect used safety boots.
Once collected, they will be cleaned, dismantled and turned into PVC chips. These chips will then be used to produce… new boots!
“This is a promising pilot project, as it addresses a real need on the ground. Major construction companies use thousands of pairs a year. If they can use recycled boots, their CSR performance will improve significantly,” emphasises Julie Jacquier.
Discover our new Greenball range, which combines performance, comfort and environmental responsibility.
Also follow our carbon footprint criteria: Delta Plus has chosen La Belle Empreinte to assess our products and provide you with information to help you make informed PPE purchasing decisions.
