They are an essential part of the leisure experience, but flip flops are a significant contributor to plastic waste in the hotel and spa industry. If not taken home by guests, there is little option but to throw them away.

Up until recently, flip flop recycling has not been widely available and, as a result, discarded flip flops often end up in landfill.

At BC SoftWear, we are committed to running our business in the most environmentally friendly way possible. Some of our initiatives include solar power and recycled water in our manufacturing processes, minimising plastic wrap in our warehousing, as well as product innovations such as our biodegradable slippers.

Now, we’re delighted to be piloting a new scheme with the Exclusive Hotels Collection, to collect, recycle and re-purpose discarded flip flops.

Going the extra mile

We’re thrilled to be working with the ground-breaking waste management organisation, First Mile.

First Mile arrange the collection and appropriate recycling of a huge range of waste materials – and this now includes the discarded flip flops we supply to Exclusive Hotels Collection.

All waste collected by First Mile is either recycled or reused – any exceptions are processed by a waste-to-energy facility to generate green electricity and heat. Any leftover materials are salvaged to become building materials.

The collections themselves are undertaken by ultra-low emission and electric vehicles, so every aspect of the process is as sustainable as possible.

0% to landfill

Once collected by First Mile, our flip flops are recycled by ethical clothing business, Reskinned.

Another pioneering organisation, Reskinned links waste management with new technology to find inventive ways to recycle, reuse, repair and repurpose unwanted clothing and footwear – ensuring that 0% reaches landfill.

Through their innovation, our flip flops, once used by hotels and spas, will resurface children’s playgrounds – just one of the many sustainable uses they’ll be put to.