Abreast of the trends and needs set by a market increasingly responsive to sustainability-related issues, Tacchificio Pienne has focused its attention on the development and testing of new solutions aimed at lowering the environmental impact. A strong commitment resulting in the exclusive launch, at the latest edition of Lineapelle, of a range of ecological heels conceived for organic shoes. This project stemmed from the partnership between the company based in Montevarchi, Arezzo province, and Plantura Srl, a recently established firm specialized in the production of bio-based polymers able to either replace or to complement the commonest petroleum-based techno- polymers, usually employed in the manufacturing of several consumer goods. “We have been involved for several months,” stated Mauro Palazzini, “in nailing and breaking tests, so as to give life to a material that can be compatible with the shoe-making process: 85-90% of the compound comes from sugar cane’s residuals, while the remaining 10-15% is made up of plastic resins with an aggregating function. We are also very satisfied with the aesthetic result: the natural finishing puts in the limelight the roughness of the wood. However, according to one’s specific needs, each model can be bound, varnished and processed in different ways. It’s a product slightly more expensive than the traditional Abs-made heel, due not to the processing method, but to the cost of raw material: an increase approximately amounting to 20-30%.” www.tacchificiopienne.it
