Wondering how green European footwear brands have become? Ganter Shoes  is an example of one company that’s made green a high priority, following already stringent European Union rules and going even further on the eco-friendly path. Not only does the Austrian company recycle,  it uses vegetable tanned leather in its shoes, recycled paper for product boxes and geothermal energy at its production facility. The company even recovers and recycles solvents and collects leftover leather, paper, cardboard and cork. Suppliers are also asked to green up their acts, ensuring that the company’s green attitude is spread around. Not surprisingly, the company has become one of the few footwear producers listed in the German LOHAS (Lifesyle of Health and Sustainability) shopping guide.

While many may envy Ganter’s greenness, getting eco-friendly may not be as high of a priority for U.S. brands struggling with the current economic crisis. Everyone wants a cleaner earth, but staying in business is a priority, too. In Europe, eco-friendly laws and trade levies make green practices the only way to go, but is that the only way to make a broad spectrum of brands greener instead of the motivated few? Do you think the U.S. needs to change its laws affecting footwear manufacturing, and if so, which ones?

 For its efforts in this field GANTER is for example listed as well on the independent product guide of the German LOHAS community http://www.lohas-guide.de/schuhe/853-ganter-shoe-fashion-gmbh/view-details.html.

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