Crocs declined to clarify whether they have already begun using Ecolibrium to manufacture their shoes. We also asked Crocs what percentage of their plastic will come from renewable sources by the end of the decade, initially believing they planned to make a full transition. The spokesperson responded and clarified, “As part of our goal to become net zero by 2030, we are aiming to reduce product emissions 50% per pair by 2030.”

Current course offerings at the Mold Maintenance Center of Excellence include Mold Maintenance, Troubleshooting & Repair, Hot Runner Troubleshooting & Repair, Mold Maintenance Strategies, Mold Component Welding, Polishing & Repair and Mold Texture Repair, with Glenn Keith working as an instructor of Mold Maintenance. An Open House for the new center will be held on April 22 at 4 pm.

technotrans says climate protection, energy efficiency and customization will be key discussion topics at PTXPO as it displays its protemp flow 6 ultrasonic eco and the teco cs 90t 9.1 TCUs.

I absolutely love my Crocs. I have seven pairs and can’t seam to get enough. They are comfortable and you can even wear socks with them. Thinking about getting the American flag pair next.

The Beaumont subsidiary has opened the Mold Maintenance Center of Excellence classroom at its Erie, Pennsylvania, headquarters.

This month’s resin pricing report includes PT’s quarterly check-in on select engineering resins, including nylon 6 and 66.

Introduced by Zeiger and Spark Industries at the PTXPO, the nozzle is designed for maximum heat transfer and uniformity with a continuous taper for self cleaning.

This Knowledge Center provides an overview of the considerations needed to understand the purchase, operation, and maintenance of a process cooling system.

The aim of this presentation is to guide you through the factors and the numbers that will help you determine if a robot is a smart investment for your application. Agenda:  Why are you considering automation? What problems are you trying to solve? How and why automation can help Crunch the numbers and determine the ROI

Exhibitors and presenters at the plastics show emphasized 3D printing as a complement and aid to more traditional production processes.

While the major correction in PP prices was finally underway, generally stable pricing was anticipated for the other four commodity resins.

It’s hard to tell if any of these comments are legit or just troll bots. It sounds to me like Crocs going sustainable is like a bunch of billionaires signing onto the Giving Pledge to donate half of their wealth. Not one of them is actively doing it but they get a lot of fanfare for saying it. Crocs, Inc. reports record annual revenues of $3.6 Billion, growing 54% Over 2021. The money for sustainable investment is there if they are genuinely interested in corporate accountability for the true cost of their shoes. With the younger generations embracing these shoes and sustainability, Crocs could be the stuff of MBA legends if they are paying attention to the changing consumer tides. But it can be incredibly challenging to make those big leaps since in the short-term, investing in expensive sustainability measures is diametrically opposed to the profits of shareholders/investors.

On the most basic level, Crocs are made of Croslite, a proprietary material. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find that Croslite is primarily composed of polyethylene vinyl acetate, or PEVA. This material, sometimes just called EVA, belongs to a class of compounds called polymers — large molecules that are made of smaller, repeating molecules joined together. Its chemical components come from fossil fuels.

“If Crocs wants to make a mark, they’d have a takeback program,” says Kimberly Guthrie, who teaches fashion merchandising and sustainability at Virginia Commonwealth University.

After successfully introducing a combined conference for moldmakers and injection molders in 2022, Plastics Technology and MoldMaking Technology are once again joining forces for a tooling/molding two-for-one.

Multiple speakers at Molding 2023 will address the ways simulation can impact material substitution decisions, process profitability and simplification of mold design.

Mike Sepe has authored more than 25 ANTEC papers and more than 250 articles illustrating the importance of this interdisciplanary approach. In this collection, we present some of his best work during the years he has been contributing for Plastics Technology Magazine.

August 29-30 in Minneapolis all things injection molding and moldmaking will be happening at the Hyatt Regency — check out who’s speaking on what topics today.

Join Wittmann for an engaging webinar on the transformative impact of manufacturing execution systems (MES) in the plastic injection molding industry. Discover how MES enhances production efficiency, quality control and real-time monitoring while also reducing downtime. It will explore the integration of MES with existing systems, emphasizing compliance and traceability for automotive and medical sectors. Learn about the latest advancements in IoT and AI technologies and how they drive innovation and continuous improvement in MES. Agenda: Overview of MES benefits What is MES? Definition, role and brief history Historical perspective and evolution Longevity and analytics Connectivity: importance, standards and integration Advantages of MES: efficiency, real-time data, traceability and cost savings Emerging technologies: IoT and AI in MES

So, Crocs are back — or maybe they never went out of style. Is it camp? Comfort? Nostalgia? We’re not sure. But we at Scienceline do love our Crocs: whether it’s the sparkly pink pair that Lyric Aquino wore in the front row at a Harry Styles concert or the blue pair that Delaney Dryfoos wore to a fancy restaurant on Martha’s Vineyard. Some of our faves now have Crocs collaborations — like Bad Bunny, the Cars movie franchise and 7-Eleven.

Say “manufacturing automation” and thoughts immediately go to the shop floor and specialized production equipment, robotics and material handling systems. But there is another realm of possible automation — the front office.

I had no idea that Crocs were made of a biodegradable material! As someone who cares deeply about sustainability, I’m really interested in learning more about how this material is used in the production process. Can you please do a follow-up post on this topic? I’d love to know more!

I am at the beach in Oregon and have pulled two Crocs out of the sea grass. They have clearly been in the water for a long, long time as they are covered in sea life and they haven’t broken down one bit. Used to be I could come down to the shore and find sea glass but now all I find is plastic – big pieces and teeny tiny pieces. It’s a huge problem.

If Crocs isn’t currently planning a complete transition to bio-based plastics, that may be because of price and limited supply. Right now, bioplastics of all sorts are more expensive and less efficient to produce than traditional plastics. They’re new on the scene and competing with traditional processes that are “very, very established,” says Jan-Georg Rosenboom, a chemical engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But if the bioplastic industry continues to grow, Rosenboom expects their price to drop and their availability to increase due to the larger production scale, new technologies or regulation.

Mold maintenance is critical, and with this collection of content we’ve bundled some of the very best advice we’ve published on repairing, maintaining, evaluating and even hanging molds on injection molding machines.

When, how, what and why to automate — leading robotics suppliers and forward-thinking moldmakers will share their insights on automating manufacturing at collocated event.

After reading this article I think Crocs are going to ruin their product. They are now the best footwear , as far as comfort and support , on the market. Why fool with success and ruin a good thing. I am now concerned Crocs, as I know them ,will no longer be available to me.

Hickner explains that, while it’s chemically possible to recycle most PEVA, this can’t be done alongside the rest of our household recycling. Crocs would likely have to create its own recycling stream where they take back old pairs of shoes to make new ones.

I just hope there going to be as good as the ones out now because of the softness of them seems to be the only thing I can wear to work because of my arthritis and whatever else is going on with my foot I’ve tried alot of orthotic stuff for foot pain etc …nothing helps but these I can’t wear shoes or I haven’t found any as of yet that work for me they are to hard on the ball of my foot everytime I step I get electric shocks or that’s what it feels like anyway it’s like something is there that shouldn’t be ….I just hope they will be soft like the others so I can keep on working

Across all process types, sustainability was a big theme at NPE2024. But there was plenty to see in automation and artificial intelligence as well.

Discover how artifical intelligence is revolutionizing plastics processing. Hear from industry experts on the future impact of AI on your operations and envision a fully interconnected plant.

Sustainability continues to dominate new additives technology, but upping performance is also evident. Most of the new additives have been targeted to commodity resins and particularly polyolefins.

So where does this leave us? It’s hard to say. We feel a little bit better about missing the sold-out, glow-in-the-dark Bad Bunny collab — but only slightly.

While prices moved up for three of the five commodity resins, there was potential for a flat trajectory for the rest of the third quarter.

Students at the Mold Maintenance Center of Excellence have to opportunity to partake in hands-on instruction. Source: American Injection Molding (AIM) Institute

In a time where sustainability is no longer just a buzzword, the food and beverage packaging industry is required to be at the forefront of this innovation. By adopting circular packaging processes and solutions, producers can meet regulatory requirements while also satisfying consumer demand and enhancing brand reputation. Join Husky to learn more about the broader implications of the circular economy — as well as how leading brands are leveraging this opportunity to reduce costs, increase design flexibility and boost product differentiation. Agenda: The cost and operational benefits of embracing circularity Key materials in circular packaging — including rPET and emerging bioplastics How to design a circular food and beverage package Strategies for selecting sustainable closures to future-proof packaging solutions Optimization and streamlining of production processes for enhanced efficiency How Husky Technologies can enable your sustainable success

Join KraussMaffei for an insightful webinar designed for industry professionals, engineers and anyone interested in the manufacturing processes of PVC pipes. This session will provide a comprehensive understanding of the technology behind the production of high-quality PVC pipes: from raw material preparation to final product testing. Agenda: Introduction to PVC extrusion: overview of the basic principles of PVC pipe extrusion — including the process of melting and shaping PVC resin into pipe forms Equipment and machinery: detailed explanation of the key equipment involved — such as extruders, dies and cooling systems — and their roles in the extrusion process Process parameters: insight into the critical process parameters like temperature, pressure and cooling rates that influence the quality and consistency of the final PVC pipes Energy efficiency: examination of ways to save material and energy use when extruding PVC pipe products

The Mold Maintenance Center of Excellence features a variety of equipment and technologies, including ultrasonic cleaning, media blasting, waterline cleaning, TIG and laser welding, electrical diagnostics of hot runners, leak detection, manifold cleaning and ultrasonic polishers.

Resin drying is a crucial, but often-misunderstood area. This collection includes details on why and what you need to dry, how to specify a dryer, and best practices.

Still, there’s one glaring problem that this bio-based plastic can’t fix: where the shoes go once you’re done with them. Crocs are notoriously long-lasting. On the one hand, that’s the opposite of the fast fashion problem that plagues the industry. But on the other, the shoes will eventually end up in a landfill, and bio-based doesn’t necessarily mean biodegradable.

ThredUP did not respond to a request asking how many pairs of the shoes arrive at the consignment store or are ultimately sold into new closets. Some people are sending their old pairs in, however. A search through thredUP yields multiple styles of Crocs shoes in multiple colors and sizes.

Crocs also plans to use other techniques to cut down on carbon emissions, like switching to renewable energy sources, but that switch won’t come until the latter half of the decade, according to their 2021 report. Until then, offsetting some fossil fuel-based plastic with a renewable alternative will account for most of the reduction in emissions.

AIM Institute’s Director David Hoffman says his organization had a vision for The Mold Maintenance Center of Excellence almost immediately upon acquiring the assets. “We wanted to carry on the legacy that Steve had put together by creating top-notch mold maintenance courses where the lecture area resides alongside our state-of-the-art hands-on bench area,” Hoffman says. “This way, the students don’t ever have to leave the shop environment, which is where they are most comfortable.”

In this collection of content, we provide expert advice on welding from some of the leading authorities in the field, with tips on such matters as controls, as well as insights on how to solve common problems in welding.

The iconic clogs have been around for 20 years, but in all that time, we never thought to wonder what they were made of. Once the question got in our heads, we couldn’t get it out. So let’s dive into the chemistry of Crocs and consider how their makeup may be changing to reduce the company’s environmental impact.

In this collection of articles, two of the industry’s foremost authorities on screw design — Jim Frankand and Mark Spalding — offer their sage advice on screw design...what works, what doesn’t, and what to look for when things start going wrong.

In this collection, which is part one of a series representing some of John’s finest work, we present you with five articles that we think you will refer to time and again as you look to solve problems, cut cycle times and improve the quality of the parts you mold.

Mixed in among thought leaders from leading suppliers to injection molders and mold makers at the 2023 Molding and MoldMaking conferences will be molders and toolmakers themselves.

Processors with sustainability goals or mandates have a number of ways to reach their goals. Biopolymers are among them.

I need to know who is the biggest manufacturer of these shoes we do the decorations on them and we sell over 1000 pairs every month now we short of supply

Second quarter started with price hikes in PE and the four volume engineering resins, but relatively stable pricing was largely expected by the quarter’s end.

Allison Parshall is a science journalist with a particular passion for multimedia storytelling. She has also written for Quanta Magazine, Scientific American and Inverse.

The new bio-based material, called Ecolibrium, was pioneered by Dow Chemical Company and will be made from “plant-based raw materials such as crude tall oil (CTO) instead of fossil-based raw materials,” a spokesperson for Dow said over email. Tall oil is a byproduct of the wood pulping process used to make paper and its name comes from the Swedish word for pine tree. The company is also evaluating other plant-based options, according to their spokesperson.

The reason I looked for info on how crocs are made- what happens when you wear these on a daily basis w/o socks, considering all the pores we have on the bottom of our feet? I see so many products with the warning “made with known cancer contributing or exposing materials “ or something such as this. What about Crocs? I have never purchased a pair, so as yet, have not read their labeling. But, I have numerous loved ones that wear Crocs…. Any danger of exposure to harmful materials?

The American Injection Molding (AIM) Institute, a subsidiary of Beaumont, is bringing updated Mold Maintenance courses in-house to its new Mold Maintenance Center of Excellence classroom at its Erie, Pennsylvania, headquarters. The AIM Institute acquired the training assets from Steve Johnson, owner and founder of MoldTrax, in July 2023, with classes previously conducted in Ashland, Ohio.

Thousands of people visit our Supplier Guide every day to source equipment and materials. Get in front of them with a free company profile.

It’s weirdly difficult to find a straight answer online. Some articles call them rubber, others foam or resin. Many insist that they’re not plastic.

Additive technology creates air pockets in film during orientation, cutting down on the amount of resin needed while boosting opacity, mechanical properties and recyclability.

Core Technology Molding turned to Mold-Masters E-Multi auxiliary injection unit to help it win a job and dramatically change its process.

Crocs also claims to have saved over 250,000 pairs from landfills in the last five years through its donation program. This number, however, accounts for unsold pairs that the company is donating instead of throwing out themselves, a program that does provide shoes for people in need. Yet, despite its push toward sustainability, Crocs still encourages its Crocs Club Members to keep returning to buy the newest, long-lasting plastic clogs.

Plastics Technology covers technical and business Information for Plastics Processors in Injection Molding, Extrusion, Blow Molding, Plastic Additives, Compounding, Plastic Materials, and Resin Pricing. About Us

“Crocs are definitely plastic. There’s no doubt about it,” says Michael Hickner, a materials scientist at Penn State University who specializes in polymers.

Curious to know how much Crocs are contributing to the microplastics horror – can the plastic be absorbed via the skin while walking, running? Are microplastics being created on the ground with every step, then washed into waterways? I do not have the answers, just asking the questions!

Join this webinar to explore the transformative benefits of retrofitting your existing injection molding machines (IMMs). Engel will guide you through upgrading your equipment to enhance monitoring, control and adaptability — all while integrating digital technologies. You'll learn about the latest trends in IMM retrofitting (including Euromap interfaces and plasticizing retrofits) and discover how to future-proof your machines for a competitive edge. With insights from industry experts, it'll walk you through the decision-making process, ensuring you make informed choices that drive your business forward. Agenda: Maximize the value of your current IMMs through strategic retrofitting Learn how to integrate digital technologies to enhance monitoring and control Explore the benefits of Euromap interfaces and plasticizing retrofits Understand how retrofitting can help meet new product demands and improve adaptability Discover how Engel can support your retrofitting needs, from free consultations to execution

Successfully starting or restarting an injection molding machine is less about ticking boxes on a rote checklist and more about individually assessing each processing scenario and its unique variables.

Plastics Technology’s Tech Days is back! Every Tuesday in October, a series of five online presentations will be given by industry supplier around the following topics:  Injection Molding — New Technologies, Efficiencies Film Extrusion — New Technologies, Efficiencies Upstream/Downstream Operations Injection Molding — Sustainability Extrusion — Compounding Coming out of NPE2024, PT identified a variety of topics, technologies and trends that are driving and shaping the evolution of plastic products manufacturing — from recycling/recyclability and energy optimization to AI-based process control and automation implementation. PT Tech Days is designed to provide a robust, curated, accessible platform through which plastics professionals can explore these trends, have direct access to subject-matter experts and develop strategies for applying solutions in their operations.

Join Engel in exploring the future of battery molding technology. Discover advancements in thermoplastic composites for battery housings, innovative automation solutions and the latest in large-tonnage equipment designed for e-mobility — all with a focus on cost-efficient solutions. Agenda: Learn about cutting-edge thermoplastic composites for durable, sustainable and cost-efficient battery housings Explore advanced automation concepts for efficient and scalable production See the latest large-tonnage equipment and technology innovations for e-mobility solutions

Formnext Chicago is an industrial additive manufacturing expo taking place April 8-10, 2025 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. Formnext Chicago is the second in a series of Formnext events in the U.S. being produced by Mesago Messe Frankfurt, AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, and Gardner Business Media (our publisher).

Crocs does have a collaboration with thredUP, an online consignment and thrift store, to find new homes for last season’s clogs. Crocs promotes this partnership as part of its commitment to reducing the number of shoes that end up in landfills. When you mail your gently used clothes and shoes to the online thrift shop, you can register to receive Crocs shopping credit.

AIM’s new Mold Maintenance Center of Excellence offers hands-on, at-the-bench training for mold maintenance technicians. Source: American Injection Molding (AIM) Institute

While prices moved up for three of the five commodity resins, there was potential for a flat trajectory for the rest of the third quarter.

While the melting process does not provide perfect mixing, this study shows that mixing is indeed initiated during melting.

Across the show, sustainability ruled in new materials technology, from polyolefins and engineering resins to biobased materials.

Hot glue itself is also typically made of PEVA. But unlike hot glue, Crocs’ Croslite polymer would be injected with gas to create its foamy structure. The result is a breathable, loose-fitting, water-resistant shoe that both supports and cushions the soles of your feet.

Ridiculous how people cant get onboard with this as not a priority – but essential. The writing is on the wall, everything has to change. Our materials need to essentially be biodegradable or beaches, forests everywhere on earth will be covered in crap that doesn’t break down.

Featuring a four-bench operation, the new classroom can accommodate the training of up to eight technicians in Mold Maintenance, Troubleshooting & Repair, and Hot Runner Troubleshooting & Repair. It can also teach up to 12 technicians simultaneously in the Mold Component Welding, Polishing & Repair, and Mold Texture Repair courses.

Despite price increase nominations going into second quarter, it appeared there was potential for generally flat pricing with the exception of a major downward correction for PP.

Take a deep dive into all of the various aspects of part quoting to ensure you’ve got all the bases—as in costs—covered before preparing your customer’s quote for services.

In this three-part collection, veteran molder and moldmaker Jim Fattori brings to bear his 40+ years of on-the-job experience and provides molders his “from the trenches” perspective on on the why, where and how of venting injection molds. Take the trial-and-error out of the molding venting process.

The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) has released final figures for NPE2024: The Plastics Show (May 6-10; Orlando) that officially make it the largest ever NPE in several key metrics.

Gifted with extraordinary technical know how and an authoritative yet plain English writing style, in this collection of articles Fattori offers his insights on a variety of molding-related topics that are bound to make your days on the production floor go a little bit better.

“Any bio-based options Dow considers, has to be extracted as a waste residue or be a by-product from a production process,” they wrote.

Ultradent's entry of its Umbrella cheek retractor took home the awards for Technical Sophistication and Achievement in Economics and Efficiency at PTXPO.

Love your crocs, but some are too pricey to purchase. Pls could you send me a pair of your latest ones, size 5. I’ve had my last pair for many years now. Live what yourl are doing in consideration of the environment well.

Soon, this process will be changing slightly to make the plastic shoes more sustainable. In their recent sustainability report, Crocs states that a pair of their classic clogs contributes 2.56 kg of CO2 to the atmosphere. The company announced last year that they plan to cut this number in half by 2030, in part by incorporating plastics made from renewable sources instead of fossil fuels.

Plastic is a broad category, but it generally means any man-made polymer, he explains. We often think of this as the smooth, flexible material that makes up takeout containers and disposable water bottles. But styrofoam is plastic, too. So are the nylon and polyester in your clothes.

Still, it’s not inaccurate to describe Crocs as foam, resin or rubber, either — they’re basically all of the above. These categories are wide-ranging and imprecise, each referencing a different aspect of Crocs’ chemical origins and physical properties.

Learn about sustainable scrap reprocessing—this resource offers a deep dive into everything from granulator types and options, to service tips, videos and technical articles.

“I think Crocs’ special magic is the process,” Hickner says. Unfortunately, Crocs doesn’t disclose much about how Crocs are manufactured, but patent documents and videos from the company indicate that they use a common technique called injection molding, the process responsible for plastic silverware and Legos. Like a hot glue gun, an injection molding machine takes in solid plastic, melts it, and pipes it out the other end. The molten plastic enters a mold, where it cools before emerging in its new shape.

I always thought crocs were ugly until I bought a pair of fakes from Walmart….and then saw my grandkids wearing them..I was gifted my first pair for my 76th birthday….I never had a pair of any shoes that didn’t hurt my feet until now..love love them..Thks for being there…

“Crocs, you know, they’re indestructible, which causes a sustainability issue,” Hickner says. The Pacific garbage patch probably contains more than a few Crocs, he speculates.

Crocs isn’t the only shoe brand that relies on PEVA for its comfortable soles. Before the advent of PEVA in the late 1970s and early 1980s, shoe soles were rigid and unforgiving, Hickner explains. “They had almost no cushioning,” he says. “It was really rough.” But the new, lightweight polymer provided just the right amount of give and became massively popular in the shoe industry, he says. Crocs’ innovation, decades later, was to make an entire shoe out of the material.

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