BALENA

Balena, an Israeli material science company, has unveiled 100% biodegradable and compostable slides to demonstrate that biodegradability works for the fashion industry. Its BioCir material is the first fully moldable, biodegradable elastomer for the fashion industry. It provides an alternative to plastic and can be integrated into manufacturing easily.

The company specialises in the production of advanced compostable and durable thermoplastic material. In 2022, Balena introduced its first developed and flagship material, BioCir™Flex, a flexible and fully compostable thermoplastic elastomer material, reducing toxic, fossil fuel-based materials currently used in the consumer goods industry. BioCir™Flex is the first elastomer that is fully compostable while at the same time durable, flexible, and soft. This supports their ambition to create a holistic circular solution with BioCycling, facilitating the disposal and complete biodegradation of BioCir products in an industrial compost environment.

Balena calls its shoes “a great alternative to polluting materials.” The shoes are “sustainable, functional and earth-friendly,” says CEO David Roubach. Balena aims to help the fashion industry, one of the world’s biggest polluters, become sustainable.