Sustainability Initiatives

 
BMZ Bio-Foam™

Our footwear is made using a combination of natural rubber and BMZ Bio-Foam™. This includes an organic additive that enhances the bio-degradation process through a series of chemical and biological processes when disposed of in a biologically active landfill. Instead of not breaking down at all or occupying the landfill space for 300 to 500 years. Our product breaks down in less than a year.

Here for a good time, not a long time!

 

When placed in a biologically active landfill (not available in all areas, you might need to contact your local council to find your nearest one), the ingredients in our footwear bases allow for the formation of a coating (called “biofilm”) on the surface. The biofilm is made up of microbes which penetrate the footwear, while other ingredients work together to expand the molecular structure, in turn making room for microbes. The microbes then send out chemical signals (their way of communicating), to attract additional microbes to the site. Once all of the microbes have been assembled, they collectively feast on the polymer chains, breaking down the chemical bonds of the product at an accelerated rate.
BMZ Bio-Foam® enhances the bio-degradation of plastic polymers into methane (can be converted to energy), carbon dioxide and inert humus (makes soil richer).

This additive differs from other “degradable plastic additives” available in the market today, mainly because it is the leading additive which produces methane (a critical component of enhanced bio-degradation in an anaerobic environment), which can be recaptured and used as a source of renewable energy. Read more about this in ‘a student’s guide to Global Climate Change’
ASTM D5511 tests (representing biologically active landfills) carried out for durations ranging from 1 to 12 months, on a broad category of product containing the eco-additive have shown excellent bio-degradation rates. It is important to note; that bio-degradation will begin and will continue leading to significant bio-assimilation. Independent ASTM D5511 tests, representing biologically active landfills, have shown 33.9% bio-degradation within 153 days.
There are important questions to ask based around this sort of stuff. For example: 
Is the product made from oxo-degradable plastic?
No. Oxo-degradable plastics require oxygen and UV light or heat to initiate degradation and thus will not biodegrade in landfills. Our product does not require either UV light or oxygen to biodegrade and will biodegrade at any depth in landfills. Oxo-degradable plastics break down in to smaller components called 'microplastics' and are actually terrible for the environment.

Check some more of these questions and answers here

We will continue to publish results here and you can also view more in-depth information on the Bmz Bio-Foam® biodegradation process here.

 
Animal Cruelty-FREE, Production and Materials
This means that no animal-based products, materials, dyes or glues are used in our manufacturing process.
This implies is that our manufacturers and suppliers are also held to a strict code of keeping an audit trail on all the materials used in our manufacturing process – guaranteeing that our products always stay animal cruelty-free… just the way we like them!

 
 
Home Compostable Mailers
We send our packages to our wonderful customers using an Eco-friendly shipping solution that is “100% home compostable mailers” from Hero Pack. They specialise in mailers that are 100% home compostable, but also made from such materials that if they ended up in landfill, they would still break down with no waste. Sometimes these bad boys sell out so we may use alternatives to get your product to you as fast as possible.
 
 
 
 
Strap Recycling Initiative
Our interchangeable footwear straps can be replaced if they break. This extends the life of the bases but what about the broken straps?
The material of the straps can be recycled up to 8 times (depending on the application), because the recycling process does not measurably decrease the chain length of PVC molecules.
So, feel free to send them back to us in a small envelope! We will give them to our manufacturers who will take the badges off and grind the straps up into little pieces to be re-used. Don't throw them in your recycling bin... that won't help.

Why should you have to pay $2.20 to get them back to us you ask? Just do it… and we’ll give you $5 off your next purchase.
e-mail info@boomerangzthongs.com.au and let us know if you would like to send your broken straps back.