May 22, 2013

Footwear’s (carbon) footprint



Study finds the bulk of shoes’ carbon footprint comes from manufacturing processes.

A typical pair of running shoes generates 30 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to keeping a 100-watt light bulb on for one week, according to a new MIT-led lifecycle assessment.

But what’s surprising to researchers isn’t the size of a shoe’s carbon footprint, but where the majority of that footprint comes from.