Ccilu International Inc (馳綠國際), a Taiwan-based footwear brand, has become the first company in the world to turn silicon waste from contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) into eco-friendly shoes.
Last year, the global footwear industry saw the first pair of pressure-relief slippers made from recycled silicon waste by Ccilu.
The brand continued to unveil follow-up collections, including sports shoes and massage slippers made from the same materials.
Photo: CNA
In an interview with CNA, Ccilu CEO Wilson Hsu (許佳鳴) recalled the company’s innovation of the first pair of slippers made from silicon waste after its silicon waste treatment partner, Semisils Applied Materials Corp (光宇應用材料), approached him about the possible use of recycled silicon waste from TSMC and other semiconductor suppliers as shoe materials for the first time.
“I was just wondering about Ccilu’s possible purchases of TSMC’s silicon waste and turning the recycled materials into eco-friendly footwear,” Hsu said. “TSMC has been dubbed the ‘sacred mountain’ that protects Taiwan, and why would Ccilu not roll out ‘sacred shoes’ made of TSMC’s silicon waste?”
Before founding Ccilu in 2012, Hsu worked for more than a decade as a Citibank executive.
Ccilu and Semisils Applied Materials spent several years before debuting the first pair of pressure relief slippers, Hsu said.
One pair of Ccilu’s silicon waste slippers can cut the consumption of crude oil by 0.5 liters, and lower carbon emissions by 1kg, he said.
On the back of its efforts to take advantage of silicon waste, Ccilu won this year’s National Sustainable Development Awards from the National Council for Sustainable Development, symbolizing its contribution to an environmentally friendly ecosystem.
Ccilu’s silicon waste footwear failed to receive a warm reception, although he had faith that sustainable innovation has great growth potential, he said.
“Many people want to own TSMC’s shares, but not all of them like to buy shoes made from silicon waste in particular, as Ccilu’s products are not at all cheap,” he said.
A pair of pressure relief slippers carries a price tag ranging between NT$1,880 and NT$2,080 (US$59.44 and US$65.76).
“We are aware that we need more time for consumers to have a better understanding of the innovation and accept the concept of a circular economy,” he said.
“A circular economy needs everyone to participate in it in order to grow. We know it will not be an easy journey, but we will be persistent in moving forward,” he said.
Ccilu was not an instant success story, Hsu said, referring to wrong business strategies that led to massive losses from stagnant sales and a large inventory, prompting him to consider closing.
However, Hsu decided to restructure Ccilu’s business in 2017 by devoting the company’s efforts toward technology development to become an eco-friendly brand and compete in the global market.
Before the launch of the slippers made from recycled silicon, Ccilu used other waste materials such as coffee grounds and recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles to produce shoes.
Ccilu unveiled its first pair of eco-friendly white shoes made from coffee grounds in the first half of 2020, right when the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world.
While the pandemic silenced global business activity, Ccilu turned to online marketing and sales to promote its environmental protection ideas and seek support for the company’s efforts, he said.
Ccilu raised more than NT$10 million in funding in Taiwan to produce the first shoes made from coffee grounds.
In the second half of 2020, Ccilu launched a pair of eco-friendly rain boots made from 15 recycled PET bottles after raising NT$22.5 million in funds.
Ccilu’s innovations have attracted international companies seeking cooperation, including entertainment brand Warner Bros Studio, which teamed up with the Taiwanese company to produce co-branded shoes for Wonder Woman and Batman.
Meanwhile, Ccilu has also become a partner of the PGA Tour to roll out golf shoes made from ocean waste.
In addition to the current collections of eco-friendly shoes, Hsu said Ccilu is developing pyrolysis technologies to turn used shoes into fuel for power generation, which is expected to provide electricity for shoe production.
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