Circular economy and sustainable footwear - Kavat’s story

The Swedish company Kavat is one of the first footwear companies to have acquired the EU Ecolabel in 2008. Now they have certified over 50 models.

Kavat produces durable and high-quality shoes made of sustainable materials with more environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. The life cycle of a product begins with extraction – the mining or cultivation of raw materials, such as cotton or leather for instance. It continues with manufacturing and packaging, distribution, use and finally, the “end of life” stage when the product is disposed of or recycled.

When developing EU Ecolabel criteria for products, the focus is on the stages where the product has the highest environmental impact, and this differs from product to product. Taking a look at footwear, leather and textile fabrics have strong environmental impacts when they are tanned, dyed, printed and bleached. So, experts have designed the criteria for footwear in order to make sure harm at the manufacturing stage is reduced as much as possible. In order for a specific shoe model to be eligible for Ecolabel certification, it has to be tested against more than 200 different chemical substances.” (EU Ecolabel | KAVAT)

By obtaining the EU Ecolabel for around 50 of its models, Kavat has become one of the most eco-friendly footwear manufacturers in Europe. The company follows the EU Ecolabel recommendation of offering a “Repair Service” for worn-out shoes. With the orientation on circular economy and sustainably produced footwear, KAVAT is currently running a recycling centre in Sweden as well as an exemplary shoe factory in Bosnia. The company operates under License number: SE/017/001

Thanks to EU-Ecolabel, we can lean back knowing that our products are seriously and thoroughly certified by 3rd parties. For more than 15 years, we’ve been partnering up with the EU Ecolabel and its criteria to create footwear that can withstand the test of time. - Erik Thyrelius, Managing Director