Most flops are made from PVC and even recycled tyre flops contain plastic, so don’t biodegrade if you lose one in a wave, or it drops off a bot. Choose biodegradable ones made from natural rubber. 3 billion people wear flops, simply because they are comfortable and practical and affordable. But the average life is just 2 years, and 25% of our ocean plastic is discarded flops. They are also not good for your feet, if you wear them all the time. The founder of Ocean Sole (below) once discovered an entire beach covered in flops, with dead fish and turtles who could not even come on the land to hatch their eggs as there was no room among the flops. On Australia’s paradise Cocos Keeling Islands, a recent torrent of debris washed up, with close to one million plastic shoes (mostly flops) being found on the beach. If things carry on like this, by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the sea.
You can create a flop recycling amnesty with Terracycle that for a one-off charge lets everyone recycle their flops into new items.To buy new, Waves Flip Flops are made from rubber sourced from the foothills of Sri Lanka, certified fair wage and ethical working practices. Natural rubber acts like a natural memory foam, moulding to your feet to offer unique support. Sold in several sizes.
Sea Sense Flops also makes 100% rubber flops that would biodegrade if you lose them in the sea. Profits from each pair sold go towards collecting 500 ocean-bound plastic bottles from polluted waterways and coastlines around the way. These flops are shock-absorbing and waterproof, with no ‘uncomfortable toe rub’ like with cheaper plastic brands. The rubber is sourced from tree farms in Vietnam, and can be composted at end of use, or send them back for recycling.
