Havaianas APAC aims to collect 10% of flip flops via recycling initiative

Havaianas Asia-Pacific (APAC) plans to collect 10% of the total sold flip flops from its APAC business through its ReCycle stations in its stores across the region. This comes as the company takes steps that contribute to a more sustainable future.

In addition to the collection goal, Havaianas will ensure 100% of its mono-brand stores in APAC feature collection points by 2030 - making recycling flip-flops easier for all. The ReCycle initiative allows consumers to consciously discard their old Havaianas in the ReCycle bins located in Havaianas stores.

To recycle and reuse rubber material, the collected flip flops will be sent to a local recycling partner and be transformed into a new eco-friendly product, such as rubber playground floors to be used in schools, sports infrastructures such as running tracks, or home and office items such as mouse pads and table mats.

Australia was the first market in APAC to launch the programme in October 2021, in collaboration with local partner Terracycle. The results from the trial in Australia and other global markets, have led Havaianas to roll out the initiative in additional APAC locations since October 2022, including in Singapore, The Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand.

ReCycle will also launch in Taiwan and New Zealand in 2023. Through these seven markets, Havaianas have already set up more than 100 stores with collection points and foresees another 20 mono-brand stores to add collection points during 2023, achieving 40% by the end of 2023.

The pledge is supported by Alpargatas, the parent company of Havaianas, which is in alignment with the UN’s sustainable development goals and aims to contribute to a more circular economy whilst reducing impacts on the environment. 

According to the company, 10% of the brand’s raw materials and finished product suppliers are in line with Havaianas’ socio-environmental criteria, such as having transparent supply chains and traceability. During the production process, 100% of the waste generated has an appropriate destination, with around 40% of what is left reused to make new Havaianas, and the other part recycled to make carpets, rubber floors or directed to co-processing, so nothing goes to waste.MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Havaianas for more information.

Robert Esser, president of Alpargatas, S.A. for APAC and China explained that Alpargatas and the Havaianas brand are seeking to make it easier for people to make more conscious choices in their daily lives.

"To do this, we are immersed in our processes and products, seeking innovative solutions and rethinking traditional logic, from raw materials, production, and transport, to the possibilities of final disposal and new life cycles. We are proud to make this pledge that sets out to mitigate the impact on the environment here in Asia, by reducing the amount of rubber flip flops ending up in landfills," Esser added.

Esser said: “We believe in a world without strings and in the power of renewal - we are only free when the world is too. Our ambitions extend beyond the planet, to people too, as nothing is more liberating than a colourful and comfortable environment where everyone can express their unique way of life.”

Havaianas' mother company, Alpargatas, is investing more than US$50 million by 2024 to boost its presence in APAC and China. Havaianas’ main focus would be on building an aspirational, joyful and colourful brand, developing online sales as well as expanding its retail footprint in Southeast Asia with permanent locations and with some pop-up stores in trend-oriented locations in China and North Asia.

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