Sustainability
Sustainability is at our core at Paul Green. We don’t just think about the shoes we create but also about everything that goes into creating our products - from the materials we use to our impact on the environment, regionally and globally.
We are equally as focused on ensuring that our products meet the standards of our customers as we are at making sure that we are as environmentally friendly as possible. The materials we choose for our shoes are high in quality and durability. We never process real fur, or leather from endangered animals. Instead, we print or emboss leather to achieve the exotic look, source shearling, merino, and sheep wool from non-mulesing farms, or go with faux fur or vegan liner materials.
Additionally, we work with external testing institutions to confirm that our shoes meet the highest standards for sustainability and quality. These institutions include:
LWG (Leather Working Group) is an organization that audits tanneries to ensure that ecological criteria are adhered to in the leather production and processing process to improve environmental standards in the leather industry. Paul Green has been an LWG member since 2023, and 90% of the leather we use is sourced from LWG-certified tanneries, a percentage we are constantly working on increasing.
PFI (Prüf- und Forschungsinstitut Pirmasens), the Test and Research Institute Pirmasens, is the shoe industry’s leading independent testing institution. You’ll notice the PFI Eco Label on our products, illustrating that the chemical, physical, biotechnological, and microbiological properties of the materials we use have been tested and passed the standards set by the PFI. Additionally, the label shows our compliance with environmental policies in our supply chains and waste management, along with occupational safety and social standards.
And our commitment to social and ecological responsibility goes beyond the materials we use to make the shoes. Our boxes are made of materials that can be fully recyclable, including water-soluble ink, something unique in the shoe industry. They’re green for a reason!
While Paul Green has not yet been required to comply with California’s Proposition 65 act, you may see labels on other products throughout California. This law requires warning labels to be placed on any product that contains (or may contain) any of 700+ elements that the California Air Resources Board considers potentially harmful. Do not be alarmed by this warning on these products, or on our products if we in the future need to comply. Many of these elements have been routinely used in consumer items for years without causing harm.
⚠WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm www.p65warnings.ca.gov/
As a company, we pride ourselves on having respect for the products we make, the people we make them for, and the planet we make them on.