Four rubber pressing machines, six employees and production of 1 000 pairs per day. That is the story of António Ferreira, thirty years ago, when he founded Bolflex. Today, the company produces 20 thousand pairs per day, employing 170 people, and has become a reference in the production of components for the industry. Not only this. In the past 30 years, sustainability has become one of the company’s main pillars. In Portugal, Bolflex is a pioneer in the reuse of waste and in the implementation of the circular economy indoors.

In 2020, Bolflex recycled 1 200 tons of raw material, doubling the quantity when compared with the previous year, and, in the meantime, it has invested so that its recycling capacity reaches  5 000 tons a year.

"It is an economic added-value”, says António Ferreira. "Bolflex’s commitment to recycling is not only to maintain it, but also to reinforce it. Despite having doubled our raw material recycling capacity, we still believe that there is a lot of room to grow”, says the founder of Bolflex.

"When we recycle, we promote a circular economy and develop an economically valuable product with an excellent performance. The final (recycled) products maintain the same physical, mechanical and chemical features of the virgin material”. The responsible of the company ensures that, despite all recycled tons, there is yet a lot to do. "I find it difficult to understand how so many tons of raw material are wasted”.

Environmental concerns are nothing new for António Ferreira’s company. Bolflex has been developing advanced recycling techniques for some time and now can recycle a wide range of materials. The SH-Rouber, for example, is a new sole that contains recycled shoes in its formulation. In this process, the shoes go back to the beginning, serving as raw materials. They are first crushed into powder, then burned, and afterwards, 30% of the recycled compound is added to a new rubber formulation, thus obtaining an innovative ecological product with all the required chemical guarantees. "This innovation in devulcanization of used footwear to make new products – such as new shoes and insoles – is already patented by Bolflex”, declares António Ferreira, President of the Bolflex group.

A lesson in sustainability. That is what Bolflex did at Alfândega do Porto, within the Portugal Fashion. It ran the month of October 2019. "Although rubber is our speciality, over time, we discovered that it is possible to reuse polymers and waste. We have wasted, in our company alone, 1500 tons of raw material. After a lot of research, we found out that it is possible to reuse that waste and incorporate into the manufacturing process.

There is more. Another of the company’s strategies is the optimization of the use of rubber in the production of soles. For that reason, it was developed a sole produced with 70% of recycled rubber. The concept behind these products is to reuse rubber waste from the production of soles and the recycling of rubber of used soles.

In accordance with its circular economy strategy, even the aluminium gets reused for producing new moulds. Bolflex has a mould casting system indoors that enables its reuse for the production of new units for sole injection. Another bet of the company is its vegan line. The Portuguese brand was recently certified as a vegan brand by the animals rights organization "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals” (PETA).

According to the company, "all these processes create an indoors circular economy, capable of reducing costs and directing the company towards a more ecological and environmentally friendly future”.
The company expects to reach, this year, 12 million euros in turnover, which represents about 20% of growth.

My Cute Pooch launches sustainable flip-flops

Thinking of recycling and with the desire of surprising the market, My Cute Pooch was born in 2019. "Being recycled, being vegan and allowing for customization”. These seem to be the features that most call the attention of customers. Italy, Romany, Bulgarian are some countries to where the company is planning to export shortly, following the ‘offensive’ in international fairs, which began this season.

In addition to the precious collection, a line of Pooch bags with gold-plated jewellery, the brand has launched a line of sustainable flip-flops, produced in the same materials as the handbags, which promises to revolutionize the market.

Based on the concept "always by your side”, the My Cute Pooch handbag intends to be practical, of small size and customizable to adapt to different tastes and occasions. Sustainability and respect for animals are two of My Cute Pooch’s guidelines. Its products do not contain components from animal origin, which has earned the brand certification with the PETA approved-Vegan seal. Each collection is developed resorting to materials that stand out for their quality and innovation capacity.