Plastic Bans and Sustainable Living

These past few decades have been less than exciting for the world. Sure, there was a bunch of cool, innovative technology that emerged but with it, came a ton of pollution. Enough to threaten the very livelihood of our entire planet. The production and consumption of plastic sit at the very heart of the causes of said pollution. This whole thing on plastic started as a brilliant idea that would revolutionize the way humans live but quickly became an unmanageable mess that is out to get us all.

You already know the ish with plastic, it just doesn’t decompose (what a cheeky but stubborn little fella). It’s pretty haunting to think that every single plastic material ever manufactured still exists somewhere out there! The result? Overflowing landfills, polluted water bodies, and a rapidly deteriorating environment. Researchers have estimated that by the year 2050, oceans will have more plastic waste than fish! Maybe Finding Nemo will even get another sequel where the poor tiny clownfish get trapped in wet plastic trash and can’t find his way back home, And THAT is a nightmare we would sincerely like to avoid.

Bans on plastic

Alright, we’ve established that plastic is the bad guy here. And considering the effect it has on the environment, governments across the globe take the most obvious & straightforward step, i.e. to ban both production and the usage of the infamous plastic. What follows suit, are usually some campaigns, schemes, and ocean cleaning programs that incentivize recyclers in attempts to minimize the damage. But, a bucket with holes cannot hold water, can it?

Are bans enough?

Okay, hear us out. What if we said banning plastic doesn’t do half as much as people like to believe (cue the gasps of disbelief). With the extent of plastic waste existing on the planet, banning it simply isn’t enough. Nor is just cleaning up the oceans. After all, where would the cleaned-up waste go? So, clearly, recycling said plastic is the better or let’s say the more important approach. But wait! there’s a catch. Studies show that only 9% of total plastic waste in the world is recycled, which is a ridiculously small amount if you ask us! Which is exactly why…

We need more creative ways to Recycle Plastic.

Far too often, you’ll see companies claiming most of their waste is recycled and that may be the case but who’s to say it is recycled sustainably? You see, there are two ways in which you can recycle things - There’s “Upcycling” which is when you take the waste and turn it into something more useful and minimize the wastage of said material. And then, there’s the ugly sibling “Downcycling” which involves recycling waste out of original material to make something that is less functional and sustainable (what a waste, literally!).

Fortunately for our planet, cool innovators around the world have created fascinating new alternatives to “deal with” plastic. Like using plastic in construction (the concrete wonders could benefit with its durability!). Someone even discovered a weird, funky mushroom that dissolves plastic into food for itself (This needs to end up on a stranger things episode)!

One of these awesome innovators, are yours truly!

At Neeman’s, we upcycle.

All our footwear ranges are designed keeping in mind the welfare of the planet. We use low-quality waste and turn it into high-quality and high utility footwear.

Let‘s show you how we do it…

ReLive Knits - giving plastic a second chance.

Our one-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art range of ReLive Knits consists of sneakers that are made entirely out of upcycled PET bottles, coming straight from overflowing landfills. The “fabric” is made by shredding and melting PET bottles to make a spool of plastic yarn. The result is our beautiful collection.

Now, isn’t that impressive? At Neeman’s, we’re all about second chances! Turning literal waste into something beautiful, durable, useful, and most importantly, sustainable is one of the many good things we do.

Comfort & style with responsibility.

At Neeman’s, we take our responsibility towards our consumers and our planet seriously. We’re proud of the unique contribution we make to plastic waste management with our ReLive Knits sneaker (which by the way isn’t our only upcycled footwear range, so you might want to check out our Eco Slides)!

What’s more? All our unisex footwear ranges are delivered to you in boxes made of recycled paper. Oh, and did we mention how lightweight and breathable our ReLive Knits are? They're perfect for everyday use and come in a range of sizes & colors, so you can rock your new favorite pair of sneakers with just about any outfit.

Honor your comfort and style responsibly with Neeman’s.