Swiss running brand On2 has become the latest fashion company to rethink its sustainability practices by introducing a new recycling incentive for customers. The brand has announced the upcoming release of a special subscription-based model that allows customers to return worn-out pairs of its Cyclon sneakers in exchange for fresh ones.
For US$29.99 a month, subscribers can send back the shoes and receive new ones as often as they like. When On receives the returns, it will send them to regional recycling hubs where they will be shredded and converted back into the original raw material, ready for reuse in the next batch of Cyclons.
The shoes will be made from plant-based materials and will only be sold in white to remove the use of chemicals in dying. They will also be delivered in sustainable packaging, making the whole process as eco-friendly as possible.
The company, which holds 40% of the running shoe market in Switzerland3, has ambitions to attract a global subscriber base of 200,000 by rollout next fall. It’s currently targeting a minimum of 5,000 subscribers per customs union, to ensure the carbon footprint of the logistics is still outweighed by the benefits of the recycling loop.