Kotero, ng'ona zabwerera, apo ayi sizidzatha. Kodi izi ndi zosangalatsa? Zosangalatsa? Zokumbukira zakale? Sitikudziwa. Koma ife ku Scienceline timakonda Crocs zathu, kaya ndi awiriawiri owala apinki omwe Lyric Aquino adavala pamzere wakutsogolo pa konsati ya Harry Styles, kapena awiriawiri abuluu omwe Delaney Dryfuss adavala ku lesitilanti yotchuka ku Martha's Vineyard. Ena mwa omwe timakonda tsopano akugwirizana ndi Crocs monga Bad Bunny, mafilimu a Cars ndi 7-Eleven.
Zinthu zodziwika bwino zakhalapo kwa zaka 20, koma panthawiyo sitinaganizepo za zomwe zimapangidwa. Funso ili likabwera m'maganizo mwathu, sitingathe kulichotsa. Chifukwa chake, tiyeni tiwone bwino momwe Crocs imagwirira ntchito ndikuganizira momwe tingasinthire kapangidwe kake kuti tichepetse kuwonongeka kwa chilengedwe kwa kampaniyo.
N'zovuta kupeza yankho lolunjika pa intaneti. M'nkhani zina amatchedwa rabara, m'nkhani zina - thovu kapena utomoni. Ambiri amanena kuti si pulasitiki.
Pa mlingo woyambira, ma Croc amapangidwa kuchokera ku zinthu zopangidwa ndi patent za Croslite. Fufuzani mozama pang'ono ndipo mupeza kuti Croslite makamaka ndi polyethylene vinyl acetate (PEVA). Zinthuzi, zomwe nthawi zina zimangotchedwa EVA, ndi za gulu la mankhwala otchedwa ma polymers - mamolekyu akuluakulu opangidwa ndi mamolekyu ang'onoang'ono, obwerezabwereza ogwirizana. Kapangidwe kake ka mankhwala kamachokera ku mafuta.
"Anyani ndi apulasitiki ndithu. Palibe kukayika za izi," akutero Michael Hickner, katswiri wa sayansi ya zinthu ku Pennsylvania State University yemwe ndi katswiri pa ma polima.
Iye anafotokoza kuti pulasitiki ndi gulu lalikulu, koma nthawi zambiri limatanthauza polima iliyonse yopangidwa ndi anthu. Nthawi zambiri timaiona ngati chinthu chosalala, chopindika chomwe chimagwiritsidwa ntchito popanga zidebe zotengera zinthu ndi mabotolo amadzi otayidwa. Koma styrofoam ndi pulasitiki. Chimodzimodzinso ndi nayiloni ndi polyester mu zovala zanu.
Komabe, si kulakwitsa kufotokoza Crocs ngati thovu, utomoni kapena rabala - zonsezi pamwambapa. Magulu awa ndi otakata komanso osamveka bwino, lililonse likugwira ntchito zosiyanasiyana za chiyambi cha mankhwala ndi mawonekedwe enieni a Crocs.
Crocs si kampani yokhayo ya nsapato yomwe imadalira PEVA chifukwa cha nsapato zake zabwino. Mpaka kubwera kwa PEVA kumapeto kwa zaka za m'ma 70 ndi kumayambiriro kwa zaka za m'ma 80, malinga ndi Hickner, nsapato zinali zolimba komanso zosakhululuka. "Zilibe chotetezera," adatero. "Zinali zovuta kwambiri." Koma akunena kuti polima yatsopano yopepuka ndi yosinthasintha mokwanira kuti ikhale yotchuka kwambiri mumakampani opanga nsapato. Patatha zaka makumi ambiri, luso la Crocs linali kupanga nsapato zonse kuchokera ku nsalu iyi.
“Ndikuganiza kuti matsenga apadera a Crocs ndi luso lapamwamba,” akutero Hickner. Mwatsoka, Crocs saulula zambiri za momwe Crocs amapangira, koma zikalata ndi makanema a kampaniyo akuwonetsa kuti amagwiritsa ntchito njira yodziwika bwino yotchedwa injection molding, njira yomwe imayang'anira zinthu zonse za pulasitiki ndi njerwa za Lego. Monga mfuti yotentha ya glue, makina opangira jekeseni amayamwa pulasitiki yolimba, kuisungunula, ndikuitulutsa kudzera mu chubu kumapeto kwina. Pulasitiki yosungunuka imalowa mu nkhungu, komwe imazizira ndikukhala ndi mawonekedwe atsopano.
Guluu wotentha nthawi zambiri amapangidwa ndi PVA. Koma mosiyana ndi guluu wotentha, polima wa Croslite amadzazidwa ndi mpweya kuti apange kapangidwe ka thovu. Zotsatira zake zimakhala nsapato yopumira, yomasuka, komanso yosalowa madzi yomwe imathandizira komanso kuphimba pansi pa phazi.
Njirayi isintha pang'ono posachedwa kuti nsapato za pulasitiki zikhale zotetezeka ku chilengedwe. Mu lipoti lawo laposachedwa la kukhazikika kwa zinthu, Crocs adati nsapato zawo ziwiri zodziwika bwino zimatulutsa 2.56 kg ya CO2 mumlengalenga. Kampaniyo idalengeza chaka chatha kuti ikukonzekera kuchepetsa chiwerengerocho ndi theka pofika chaka cha 2030, mwa zina pogwiritsa ntchito mapulasitiki opangidwa kuchokera ku zinthu zongowonjezedwanso m'malo mwa mafuta osungiramo zinthu zakale.
Zipangizo zatsopano zopangidwa kuchokera ku zamoyo, zotchedwa Ecolibrium, zinapangidwa koyamba ndi Dow Chemical ndipo zidzapangidwa kuchokera ku "masamba monga mafuta osaphika atali (CTO), osati magwero a zinthu zakale," wolankhulira Dow adatero mu imelo. Mafuta atali, omwe amapangidwa kuchokera ku njira yopangira mapepala amatabwa, adachokera ku liwu lachi Sweden lotanthauza paini. Kampaniyo ikuwunikanso njira zina zopangira zomera, wolankhulira wawo adatero.
"Njira iliyonse yogwiritsira ntchito zinthu zachilengedwe yomwe Dow idaganizira iyenera kubwezedwa ngati zinthu zotayidwa kapena ngati chinthu china chochokera mu njira yopangira," adalemba.
Crocs anakana kufotokoza ngati ayamba kugwiritsa ntchito Ecolibrium m'malo mwawo. Tinafunsanso Crocs kuti ndi kuchuluka kotani kwa mapulasitiki awo komwe kudzachokera kuzinthu zongowonjezedwanso pofika kumapeto kwa zaka khumi, poyamba poganiza kuti akukonzekera kusintha kwathunthu. Wolankhulirayo anayankha ndikufotokozera kuti: "Monga gawo la cholinga chathu chokwaniritsa kusakhalapo kwa mpweya woipa pofika chaka cha 2030, cholinga chathu ndi kuchepetsa mpweya woipa wochokera ku zinthu zingapo ndi 50% pofika chaka cha 2030."
Ngati Crocs pakadali pano sakukonzekera kusintha kwathunthu kukhala mapulasitiki achilengedwe, izi zitha kukhala chifukwa cha mitengo yochepa komanso kupezeka kochepa. Pakadali pano, mapulasitiki osiyanasiyana achilengedwe ndi okwera mtengo komanso osagwira ntchito bwino popanga kuposa mapulasitiki wamba. Ndi atsopano ndipo amapikisana ndi njira zachikhalidwe "zodziwika bwino kwambiri", akutero Jan-Georg Rosenboom, injiniya wa mankhwala ku MIT. Koma ngati makampani opanga mapulasitiki achilengedwe apitiliza kukula, Rosenboom akuyembekeza kuti mitengo itsika ndipo kupezeka kudzawonjezeka chifukwa cha kuchuluka kwa kupanga, ukadaulo watsopano kapena malamulo.
Crocs ikukonzekeranso kugwiritsa ntchito ukadaulo wina kuti ichepetse mpweya woipa wa carbon, monga kusinthana ndi mphamvu zongowonjezwdwa, koma malinga ndi lipoti lawo la 2021, kusinthaku sikudzachitika mpaka theka lachiwiri la zaka za m'ma 2000. Mpaka nthawi imeneyo, gawo lalikulu la kuchepetsaku lidzachokera pakuchotsa mapulasitiki ena opangidwa ndi mafuta opangidwa ndi zinthu zakale ndi njira zina zongowonjezwdwa.
Komabe, pali vuto limodzi loonekeratu lomwe pulasitiki yopangidwa ndi zinthu zachilengedweyi silingathe kuthetsa: komwe nsapato zimapita zikatha. Ng'ona zimadziwika kuti zimakhala nthawi yayitali. Kumbali imodzi, izi ndizosiyana kwambiri ndi mavuto a mafashoni achangu omwe makampani akukumana nawo. Koma kumbali ina, nsapato zimathera m'malo otayira zinyalala, ndipo kuwonongeka kwa zinthu zachilengedwe sikutanthauza kuwonongeka kwa zinthu zachilengedwe.
“Mukudziwa, Ng’ona sizingawonongeke, zomwe zimapangitsa kuti pakhale mavuto okhalitsa,” anatero Hickner. Iye akunena kuti mwina pali ng’ona zingapo mu Pacific Garbage Patch.
Hickner anafotokoza kuti ngakhale kuti PEVA yambiri imatha kubwezeretsedwanso pogwiritsa ntchito mankhwala, sizingachitike pamodzi ndi zinthu zina zobwezeretsanso m'nyumba. A Crocs angafunike kupanga njira yawoyawo yobwezeretsanso, kubwezeretsanso nsapato zakale kuti apange zatsopano.
“Ngati Crocs akufuna kusintha zinthu, akanakhala ndi pulogalamu yobwezeretsanso zinthu,” anatero Kimberly Guthrie, yemwe amaphunzitsa za malonda ndi mafashoni ku Virginia Commonwealth University.
Crocs yagwirizana ndi wogulitsa zinthu zakale pa intaneti wa thredUP kuti apeze malo atsopano osungiramo zinthu zakale za nyengo yatha. Crocs ikulimbikitsa mgwirizanowu ngati gawo la kudzipereka kwawo kuchepetsa kuchuluka kwa nsapato zomwe zimatayidwa m'malo otayira zinyalala. Mukatumiza zovala ndi nsapato zakale ku sitolo yogulitsa zinthu zakale pa intaneti, mutha kulembetsa ku Crocs Shopping Points.
ThredUP sinayankhe pempho lofuna kudziwa kuti ndi nsapato zingati zomwe zinafika ku masitolo ogulitsa zinthu zakale kapena zomwe zinagulitsidwa ku malo atsopano osungira zovala. Komabe, anthu ena amapereka nsapato zawo zakale. Kufufuza thredUP kumapeza mitundu yosiyanasiyana ya nsapato za Crocs zamitundu yosiyanasiyana ndi makulidwe osiyanasiyana.
Crocs imanenanso kuti yasunga nsapato zoposa 250,000 kuchokera pamalo otayira zinyalala m'zaka zisanu zapitazi kudzera mu pulogalamu yawo yopereka. Komabe, chiwerengerochi ndi chifukwa chake kampaniyo imapereka nsapato zosagulitsidwa m'malo mozitaya, ndipo pulogalamuyi imapereka nsapato kwa iwo omwe akuzifuna. Komabe, ngakhale kuti Crocs yadzipereka kuti zinthu ziyende bwino, kampaniyo ikupitiliza kulimbikitsa mamembala ake a Crocs Club kuti abwererenso kudzagula nsapato zatsopano zapulasitiki zolimba.
Ndiye izi zikutisiyira chiyani? N'zovuta kunena. Tikumva bwino pang'ono chifukwa chosowa mgwirizano wathu ndi Bad Bunny womwe watha, koma osati kwa nthawi yayitali.
Allison Parshall ndi mtolankhani wa sayansi yemwe ali ndi chidwi chapadera cholemba nkhani za multimedia. Amalembanso ku Quanta Magazine, Scientific American ndi Inverse.
Delaney Dryfuss pakadali pano ndi Mkonzi Wamkulu wa Scienceline komanso wofufuza wa Inside Climate News.
Ndimakonda ng'ona zanu, koma zina ndi zodula kwambiri moti simungathe kuzigula. Chonde nditumizireni peyala yanu yatsopano, saizi 5. Ndakhala ndikuvala peyala yanga yomaliza kwa zaka zambiri. Samalirani chilengedwe ndipo khalani bwino.
Ndikukhulupirira kuti ali bwino monga momwe alili panopa chifukwa kufewa kwawo kumawoneka ngati chinthu chokhacho chomwe ndingavalire kuntchito chifukwa cha nyamakazi yanga komanso mavuto ena aliwonse omwe amandichitikira mapazi. Ndayesa kwambiri kupweteka kwa mapazi ndi zina zotero. Ma insoles a orthotic… sagwira ntchito koma ndine amene sindingathe kuvala nsapato kapena sindinapeze chilichonse choyenera kwa ine ndipo nthawi iliyonse ndikayenda amandikakamiza pa mpira wa phazi langa, ndipo ndimavulala ndi magetsi kapena china chake chonga chimenecho. Ndimamva ngati pali china chake chomwe sichiyenera kukhalapo… ndikungofuna kuti chikhale chofewa ngati china chilichonse kuti ndipitirize kugwira ntchito
Nditawerenga izi, ndinaganiza kuti Crocs awononga malonda awo. Izi ndi nsapato zabwino kwambiri pamsika pakadali pano pankhani ya chitonthozo ndi chithandizo. Bwanji kunyenga kupambana ndikuwononga chinthu chabwino? Ndikuda nkhawa ndi crocs pakadali pano, monga momwe ndikudziwira sindingathe kuzigulanso.
Ndinali pagombe ku Oregon ndikukoka ng'ona ziwiri za m'nyanja. Mwachionekere, zinali m'madzi kwa nthawi yayitali, chifukwa zinali zitaphimbidwa ndi zamoyo zam'madzi ndipo sizinasweke konse. Kale, ndinkatha kupita kugombe ndikupeza magalasi a m'nyanja, koma tsopano ndikupeza pulasitiki yokha - zidutswa zazikulu ndi zazing'ono. Ili ndi vuto lalikulu.
Ndikufuna kudziwa yemwe ndi wopanga nsapato zazikulu kwambiri, timapanga zokongoletsera nsapato, timagulitsa mapeyala opitilira 1000 pamwezi, tsopano tilibe zambiri.
N'zovuta kudziwa ngati ndemanga iliyonse mwa izi ndi yolondola kapena kungonyoza ma bot. Kwa ine, kukhazikika ku Crocs kuli ngati gulu la mabiliyoni ambiri omwe akusaina Giving Pledge ndikupereka theka la chuma chawo. Palibe aliyense wa iwo amene akuchita nawo izi, koma alandiridwa kwambiri chifukwa cha mawu awo. Crocs Inc. inanena kuti ndalama zomwe amapeza pachaka ndi $3.6 biliyoni, zomwe zakwera ndi 54% kuchokera mu 2021. Ngati ali ndi chidwi chofuna kuti makampani atenge udindo pa mtengo weniweni wa nsapato zawo, ndalamazo zilipo kale kuti azigwiritsa ntchito ndalama zokhazikika. Pamene achinyamata akulandira nsapato izi ndi kukhazikika, Crocs ikhoza kukhala nthano ya MBA ngati asamala za kusintha kwa makasitomala. Koma kuchita zinthu zazikuluzikulu kungakhale kovuta kwambiri, chifukwa kuyika ndalama mu njira zotsika mtengo zokhazikika kumatsutsana kwambiri ndi phindu la eni masheya/ogulitsa ndalama kwakanthawi kochepa.
Pulojekiti ya Science, Health, and Environment Reporting Program ya Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute ku New York University. Mutu wa Garrett Gardner.