Step Into
Circularity
Sustainability Comes Full Circle
OrthoLite® Cirql™ is the critical solution needed to achieve true circularity in the footwear industry. A biopolymer made powerfully from plants, Cirql offers a pure foam alternative to conventional plastics, like EVA. OrthoLite® Cirql™ sets a new standard for product and the manufacturing processes as a soil-to-soil solution for footwear. It is the world’s first biodegradable and industrially compostable comfort and performance foam technology.
Introducing Ortholite Cirql Powered by Plants
Pursuing sustainability has been part of our core values since day one. We take our stewardship responsibilities seriously and we’re inspired by how much farther we can go to not only minimize our own environmental footprint, but lead the entire footwear industry in doing the same.
With the introduction of OrthoLite® Cirql™, we bring a new approach to sustainability in footwear, both in materials and process. Powered by plants, OrthoLite® Cirql™ effectively replaces conventional foams with a true soil-to-soil solution, setting a new standard for comfort, performance, and sustainability.
A Revolution in Sustainable Production
OrthoLite® Cirql™ eliminates the use of toxic and hazardous chemicals commonly used in the product creation process. OrthoLite® Cirql™’s chemical free foaming process utilizes nitrogen (from the air we breathe) combined with renewable energy. No compounds are created and no chemical additives are required. OrthoLite® Cirql™ is the first industrially compostable foam solution that allows brands and factory partners to move away from toxic and hazardous chemicals to a zero-waste production process.
Traditional Plastic-Free. Period.
Today there are many eco-components that use recycled or repurposed materials – like ocean plastic, or plant-based ingredients, like dried algae or mushrooms. Powered by plants, Cirql’s breakthrough biopolymer technology sets a new standard for truly sustainable footwear, free of conventional plastics and no persistent microplastics moving toward true circularity and zero waste.
Traditional Plastics-Free Foam
OrthoLite Cirql is a patented, closed-cell foam technology made from a responsibly sourced plant-based biopolymer and is expanded using nitrogen gas during the foaming process, for use in footwear. Cirql is a first-ever traditional plastics free, recyclable, and compostable foam.
Non-Persistent Microplastics
The non-persistent microplastic particles from Cirql are not present in both soil and marine environments because of their non persistence, meaning, they will biodegrade naturally and fully over time.
Chemical-Free Foaming Process
Also known as supercritical foaming or physical foaming, this process combines CO2 or Nitrogen with polymers to create a foam, eliminating toxic or hazardous chemicals typically used in the foaming process. This minimizes environmental risks during production and results in a non-toxic end product.
Recyclable
Able to be treated or processed and made suitable for reuse. Not all plastics, such as EVA, are recyclable.
Industrially Compostable
A form of composting at an industrial facility that involves the precise control of air/oxygen, water, microorganisms, and occasionally pressure. Some facilities may also introduce carbon and nitrogen-rich materials to facilitate the biodegradation of certain materials.
De-Polymerizable
A process in which a polymer is converted into its component monomers. For practical purposes and in real-life (i.e. non-lab) applications, only polymers with a linear chemical structure can be depolymerized.
Ortholite Cirql™: An Innovation For Everyone
Collectively, we have the power—through our everyday choices—to move things in the right direction. And we can start with the simple choice of how shoes are made and what they’re made from.
Step into a more sustainable future for footwear, with OrthoLite Cirql.