Stella McCartney’s new plant-based sneakers can be composted

Stella McCartney has released a new sneaker with soles made from plant-based components, including cinnamon waste, and can be composted or recycled when worn out. The brand aimed to create a circular product, but previous versions still used fossil-fuel-based plastics in the sole. These plastics have sustainability challenges, including being energy-intensive to produce, rarely recycled, and contributing to microplastic pollution. Stella McCartney partnered with Balena, a materials science startup, to find an alternative. Balena engineered a new material, BioCir Flex, which has the same comfort and resilience as conventional plastic but can be composted or recycled. The material was developed over two years and is still more expensive than standard plastics. However, Stella McCartney is willing to pay the higher cost to future-proof against regulations and reduce environmental risks. The material could potentially scale up to be widely used in the industry, but it requires building robust supply chains and end-of-life systems. Regulatory momentum and growing consumer expectations are driving the shift towards circularity. The new sneaker, the $550 S-Wave, uses a mix of hemp and agricultural waste in its upper and can be sent back to Stella McCartney for recycling when worn out.