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Science Consumerism Project
3
Alexandra 10/05/2017
A JOURNEY IN THE SHOES OF MY FILA SHOES
Introduction
There are many items and accessories we use in our everyday lives. From tables to clothes, we use many objects that we don't think twice about. We never wonder how it was made or where it came from, we just care about whether we own it or not. Little do we know that the real problem we should be focusing on is what really happens behind the scenes on the objects we value everyday. The product I have chosen to trace back and learn more about is my pair of Fila shoes. It's time to "lace up" this situation and find out more about the impacts the creation of my shoes have. Let's embark on a journey in the shoes of my Fila shoes!
Introduction
Raw Materials in Fila Shoes
-EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate)
-Polyurethane
- Synthetic Rubber
-Nylon Weave
-Cloth
-Artificial Suede
Though there are many raw materials, I have selected two: Synthetic Rubber and EVA
Economic Impact
The production of Fila shoes has both a positive and negatvie economic impact on many societies.
The raw materials of Fila shoes are located in different parts of the world. The extraction of these materials is dependent on the location of their supply. Therefore these countries benefit from these natural resources.
The manufacturing is typically done in countries which provide a cheap labour force. This allows for the product to be sold at a lower price. Although the wages are low, this industry also provides a livelihood for its communities.
Economic Impact
PROS
- Provides employment. The average wage for a Chinese worker is $1.74/hr as compared to $19.43/hr for a similar worker in the US
-In 2015, US consumers spent almost $380 billion on clothing and footwear. The industry employs more than 1.8 million people in the US
- The lack of restrictions on mining and drilling sites around the world allows for a plentiful supply of raw material. This keeps the cost of those materials low.
-The low labour and material costs make this product affordable to many people
PROS
CONS
- Workplace conditions vary depending on where you live. There were 66 000 workplace deaths in China in 2016 versus 4836 in the USA
-The financial costs of the clean up of environmental disasters
-Financial compensation to victims of the disasters
-The depletion of the natural resources of our planet
CONS
Taiwan
EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate)
-Ethylene Vinyl Acetate is used to manufacture the insole of the FILA shoe.
-EVA is a mixture of ethylene and vinyl acetate. When these 2 substances are placed under pressure and heat, they form ethylene vinyl acetate.
- EVA is chemically processed
ETHYLENE
-Ethylene is a colourless and flammable gas with a faint sweet and musky odour.
-It is produced when oil or natural gas is broken down by 'cracking.’ Steam is typically used in the cracking process.
- Ethylene is released when steam comes into contact with oil.
-To create ethylene you would first need to drill for oil.
ETHYLENE
VINYL ACETATE
-Vinyl Acetate is a substance which is created by an industrial process. It is a mixture of ethylene (described above), acetic acid (vinegar) and oxygen with a Palladium catalyst
-Palladium is a silvery white metal which is obtained by mining.
VINYL ACETATE
Environmental Impact
EVA releases volatile organic compounds (VOC) into the air when decomposing. VOCs contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer. It is also harmful to humans and plants, and can pollute groundwater and rivers when decomposing.
Environmental Impact
Human Impact of Chemically Processing Goods
-The Bhopal disaster was a gas leak incident in India, considered the world’s worst industrial disaster. It occurred on the night of December 2-3, 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal.
-Over 500,000 people were exposed to methyl isocyanate gas and other chemicals. The highly toxic substance made its way into and around the shanty towns located near the plant.
-Estimates vary on the death toll. The official immediate death toll was 2,259
Human Impact of Chemically Processing Goods
Saudi Arabia
(Oil Production For Ethylene)
-Drilling for oil has many impacts on both the environment and people surrounding the area of the drilling site
-Saudi Arabia is the leading oil producer in the world
- Oil can be transported by various methods
Saudi Arabia
(Oil Production For Ethylene)
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
- According to a new study, about 35 % of British Columbia’s 11,000 active oil wells, abandoned wells and water injection wells in the northeastern part of the province are leaking significant amounts of methane
-The construction of roads to the well site impacts both the vegetation and animal life in the area.
-The ocean habitat is also disturbed when drilling occurs offshore. Oil spills have disastrous effects on the land and sea when they occur. Commonly affecting seabirds by coating their feathers with oil.
-The distribution of the oil by truck, ship, train or pipeline also impacts the environment.
Nearly 9 million gallons of crude oil have spilled from pipelines in the United States since 2010.
ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT
HUMAN IMPACT
HUMAN IMPACT
- Oil wells require a lot of land, eliminating areas for potential homes, buildings, and other industrial,residential and commercial buildings
- In some cases, 'fracking' is used to extract the oil. This causes the groundwater to mix with the resulting gases. This same water is now contaminated when delivered to the consumer
-The Deepwater Horizon oil spill (also known as the BP oil spill, the BP oil disaster, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and the Macondo blowout) began on April 20, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico. Killing eleven people, it is considered the largest marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry.
-The US Government estimated the total discharge at 4.9 million barrels. After several failed efforts to contain the flow, the well was declared sealed on September 19, 2010. Reports in early 2012 indicated that the well site was still leaking.
TRANSPORTATION
-The mode of transportation comes down to the cost and location
- Oil is stored in above-surface tanks
Pipeline
-Most common way to transport oil
-Low carbon footprint
-Less energy to operate than other ways
Rail
-Small capital costs
-Small amount of time to construct railroads
-Trains are used for long distance shipping
-Disadvantages from using a train are speed, carbon emissions and accidents
Truck
-Often last resort
-Greatest flexibility in destinations
Ship
-Used when overland transportation is not possible
-30 000 barrel tank barge can carry the same amount of oil as 45 rail tank
cars at one-third of the cost
-Barges are 20-35% cheaper than a pipeline depending on the route
Russia
(Palladium for Vinyl Acetate)
-In order to create vinyl acetate, you must first obtain palladium
-Palladium is a silvery white metal which is obtained by mining.
- Russia is the leading producer of palladium
Russia
(Palladium for Vinyl Acetate)
Environmental Impact
-The construction of mining roads impacts both the vegetation and animal life in the area. The mining site is impacted by deforestation. This causes erosions, which could result in mudslides and floods,having both a natural and human impact.
-The removal of groundwater is often a nessecary requirement. There is a high volume of waste which may also contain toxic substances
-All industrial processes produce greenhouse gases and contribute to global warming. There are also many risks involved with industries and manufacturing.
Environmental Impact
America
Synthetic Rubber
-Synthetic rubber is an artificial rubber that has elastic properties
- Many items are needed in the complex chemical process to create synthetic rubber
- Some of these items include natural gas, and hydrocarbons such as coal
- Synthetic rubber is mostly made in America
- Synthetic rubber is used for the bottom sole of the shoe
America
Synthetic Rubber
COAL
- Coal is a fossil fuel
- Coal is formed when decaying vegetation is exposed to high temperatures and pressures.
-It is obtained through mining
COAL
NATURAL GAS
- It is a fossil fuel
- Natual gas is a flammable gas used as fuel
- It mostly consists of methane and other hydrocarbons
- Occurs naturally underground
- Large layers of rock trap the natural gas when it tries to float to the surface
NATURAL GAS
The Transportation of Rubber
-The 3 main ways to transport rubber is by ship, truck, and train
-The rubber requires protection from solar radiation, temperature variations and sharp objects
-The containers of rubber cannot be handled if raining or snowing
-The container with rubber must be kept dry, clean, and dust-free
The Transportation of Rubber
The Environmental Impact of Producing Rubber
- Soot is produced when manufacturing synthetic rubber.
-About 265 million tires (produced with synthetic rubber) are thrown out every year
-The production of rubber also contaminates soil, air and water
Australia
(Coal for Synthetic Rubber)
- Coal is obtained by mining
- Australia has one of the biggest coal mines in the world
Australia
(Coal for Synthetic Rubber)
Environmental Impact
-Air pollution from coal-fired power plants includes: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter (PM), and heavy metals, leading to smog, acid rain, toxins in the environment, and numerous respiratory problems
-Mining sites clear all flora and fauna in its area, causing both plants and animals to lose their habitats and become endangered or extinct
-Mining for coal releases methane, which adds to global warming
-Coal sludge is the liquid coal waste produced when washing coal. It can sometimes be injected directly into abandoned mines, endangering underground and surface waters by releasing toxins through leaks and spills
-Mining for coal allows coal dust into the air, which could cause severe and deadly respiratory problems for both animals and humans
Human Impact
-Coal mines are dangerous places to work
-Feb 25-28, 2016, 36 miners were killed by methane explosions in coal mines
-Mining tunnels can flood or collapse
-Particles of coal dust can explode
-18 000 miners died in France since 1876
-More than 6000 died in China in 2004
-301 were killed in mining incident in Turkey on May 13, 2014
-Miners or people who live near mines, inhale coal dust and carbon. This hardens their lungs and can lead to black lung disease
-People living near coal mines have higher rates of cardiopulmonary disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, lung disease, and kidney disease
Transportation
-The most common way to transport coal
is by train
-Ships transport coal across seas
-Trucks move coal to consumers a short distance away
Russia
(Natural Gas for
Synthetic Rubber)
- Natural gas is harvested by drilling
- Russia has one of the biggest sites that harvest natural gas
Russia
(Natural Gas for
Synthetic Rubber)
Environtmental Impact
-Drilling for natural gas negatively affects aquatic habitats when drilling offshore
- It creates highly toxic and sometimes radioactive waste water
-Can leak and contaminate underground water used for drinking and hygiene
-Can cause micro-earthquakes, but has also been linked to larger earthquakes
-Laying pipes that transport natural gas from the wells also require the land it is being placed in to be cleared
Human Impact
The impact of drilling for natural gas is similar to the impacts caused by drilling for oil as mentioned previously
Human Impact
Transportation
-Natural gas is quickly and efficiently transported through a complex network of pipelines
-These pipelines often stretch long distances
Transportation
China
THE PRODUCTION AND MARKETING OF FILA SHOES
China is the place where the Fila shoes are to be manufactured. Both EVA (ethylene viynl acetate), synthetic rubber along with the other raw materials are transported to China to be maunfactured into the Fila shoes I now own today.
China
THE PRODUCTION AND MARKETING OF FILA SHOES
Working Conditions of China's Sweatshops
-Chinese workers frequently work 7 days a week when demand is high
-Can work for 13 to 14 hrs a day
-Chinese workers sometimes sew until arms are sore and stiff
-36% live on less than $2 a day
-Severe health risks
-Sweatshops mostly women and rural migrant workers
-Women rarely get maternity leave
-No childcare places, so forced to send children to live in countryside
-In 2009, approx 1 million were injured at work
Working Conditions in Fila's Sweatshops around the world
-Fila uses suppliers in Asia where workers- mainly women- are forced to work long hours for low wages
-Workers face dismissal if they protest against these conditions
-According to Oxfam, Fila used a factory in Indonesia which did not have basic workers rights
-They subjected women to sexual harassment and committed serious labour abuses
-When confronted with evidence, Fila said there was nothing they could do
- Fila did not give details of its suppliers and what steps they were to take to protect supplier’s employees
-Low wages, long hours, verbal abuse, denial of trade human rights
- In 2005, the factory closed without a warning or notice
- A year later, 3 500 of its workers had not gotten any back-pay or severance pay
-Fila refused to talk about the role they had in the closure and said they had no responsibility of the workers
-Mostly young women who work (17-24)
- Dangerous hostile conditions
Canada/Conclusion
My shoes have now been transported to Canada, where I will later buy them in a store. I hope this presentation has taught you what really happens behind the scenes when processing a shoe, and that you now know you may have "gotten off on the wrong foot" when it comes to the production of shoes.
Thank you for reading my presentation and I hope you enjoyed it!
Canada/Conclusion
Transporation of the Shoes
Plane
Pros: -Fastest speed
Cons:-14 times more carbon emission than by sea
-Exhaust gas contains nitrogen oxides which is harmful to your health
-Highest cost
Ship
Pros:- Lowest cost
-Transports heavy and bulky items
-Less maintenance cost
-Ideal for foreign trade
Cons:-Bad weather
-Longer delivery times
Road/truck
-Medium speed and medium cost out of all 3
Bibliography
Bibliography
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sneakerfactory.net/sneakers/2014/02/shoes-made-in-china/
www.madehow.com › Volume 1
https://www.oxfam.org.au/what-we-do/.../are-your-clothes-made-in-sweatshops/
https://www.organicconsumers.org/.../adidas-reebok-rockport-fila-other-brand-name-.
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https://www.studentenergy.org/topics/ff-transport
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