7-Eleven starts selling sneakers made of recycled materials

Sneakers made of recycled plastic and leather scraps, sold at 7-Eleven [7-ELEVEN]

7-Eleven started selling eco-friendly sneakers Friday as part of the company's on-going recycling efforts.

The sneakers are made of recycled plastic bottles and leftover leather scraps and retail for 89,000 won ($76). They were available starting Friday in limited quantities.

Eco-friendly apparel maker LAR, a company that became famous when Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin was seen wearing the brand’s shoes, is manufacturing them.

The shoes are one element of “Project LOOP,” a recycling initiative led by Lotte Chemical and seven other companies. 7-Eleven in Korea is run by Korea Seven, which is 79.66 percent owned by Lotte Corp. and a 7-Eleven licensee.

Plastic bottles weighing a total of 10 tons have been collected at Lotte World Mall and Lotte World since March last year. Kumhofiber Industries reduced the bottles to powder, which was made into fabric by the Korea Textile Development Institute.

Customers can buy the shoes only on the convenience store’s mobile application. Rather than getting the shoes delivered to their houses, people can choose a 7-Eleven store for pick-up.

Project LOOP plans to continue with the initiative, selling clothes and pouches made of recycled materials early next year.

“We’re happy to contribute to the recycling of resources and materials,” said a spokesperson for Korea Seven. “We’ll continue to select and sell meaningful products in the eco-friendly age, fulfilling our social responsibilities.”

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]