Evoco was founded by Jason Robinson, a pioneer in the field of climate technology with over 20 years of experience in commercializing renewable technologies. Evoco is an innovative company dedicated to unlocking the potential of phytochemistry to develop low-carbon, high-performance materials.
Commenting on Evoco's significant impact on the footwear industry, Jason Robinson said, "The footwear industry has assessed its environmental impact and now understands that the main way to reduce it is to reduce its reliance on petrochemicals.Evoco's solution is to put plants at the heart of its innovation platform, replacing petroleum with plants in the development of high performance materials. Helping brands on their journey to de-petrochemicalization by providing solutions that can decarbonize and de-toxify their supply chains."
In fact, Evoco's plant-based foam technology, FATES, is made from up to 85% bio-based ingredients, of which the bio-based ingredients are certified plant-based. Using bio-based foams to manufacture footwear components such as insoles or midsoles can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70% compared to traditional petroleum-based polyurethane foams. Notably, the company conducts regular life-cycle analyses to drive innovation and product development to continually minimize its environmental impact. The company also looks at all impact categories, not just greenhouse gas emissions.
Jason Robinson acknowledges that standard polyurethane foams have a lot going for them, but he says that FATES performs as well as, if not better than, these petroleum-based components. For consumers, this means a high-quality, sustainable product with long-lasting performance that minimizes environmental impact at end-of-life due to its biodegradable nature and the removal of toxic elements (such as tin-based catalysts) during the manufacturing process.
As a solution for large-scale footwear applications, this technology introduces breakthrough low-density polyurethane foam for insole applications, specifically designed to be the simplest and most effective solution for integrating high bio-based content components into footwear designs.
Looking ahead, Evoco's materials science team is expanding its phytochemical platform and is developing rigid plastics, adhesives, and 3D printing solutions, with projects already underway in the automotive, furniture, and apparel sectors, said Jason Robinson.
Jason Robinson said, "Evoco is committed to advancing the footwear industry by introducing new components to the market. In addition to cast polyurethane insoles and midsoles and now die-cut lightweight foam insoles, our innovation roadmap includes plant-based uppers, rigid plastics, and ultimately all core components through which we support brand owners in designing high-performance, low-carbon product ranges and minimizing the impact of their products at end-of-life."
