Bridgestone and Soles4Souls turn tyres into shoes

Global non-profit organisation, Soles4Souls Asia and Bridgestone Indonesia, a group company of Bridgestone Corporation, the world's largest tire and rubber company, have announced a new two-year partnership for an exciting sustainable project to create new shoes out of recycled tyres.

The partnership starts 5 June 2020 as the world celebrates World Environment Day, serving as an important reminder for the world to address pressing environmental concerns and work collectively toward a sustainable society.

Bridgestone Indonesia and Soles4Souls Asia will work with partners to manufacture shoes that will be distributed to people in need around the world and/or sold through various outlets.

The goal is to convert 40,000 tyres into approximately 400,000 pairs of shoes by the end of 2022, diverting these end-of-life tires from landfills and putting them to good use.

The partnership will give these Bridgestone tires a new lease of life as soles for shoes, helping drive toward a circular economy that eliminates waste through the continual use of resources.

Additionally, Bridgestone Indonesia is donating $60,000 to assist Soles4Souls Asia in their global relief efforts to expand the project. To kickstart the partnership, Bridgestone Indonesia and Soles4Souls Asia will be working with Indosole, a sustainable shoe brand and certified B Corporation, that will manufacture the shoes in their factories in Indonesia and sell them both online and in stores across the world. For every pair of shoes sold by Indosole, a portion of the proceeds will be donated back to Soles4Souls Asia to further the work of distributing new shoes to people in need across Asia.