This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on May 20, 2024 - May 26, 2024

Steven Ng’s family ran a business manufacturing rubber outsoles. However, he realised that obtaining raw materials was neither easy nor a sustainable endeavour. In 2018, he pondered the feasibility of upcycling rejected nitrile rubber gloves into shoe soles, challenging the rubber industry’s scepticism about the recyclability of nitrile gloves. Made of synthetic rubber, nitrile gloves are not biodegradable, cannot be composted and difficult to recycle through traditional methods.

“I came up with a crazy idea. Why don’t we use almost 100% of recycled [nitrile glove] materials [for footwear]?” he says.

Ng then began experimenting, starting with footwear made up of 60% recycled nitrile gloves and eventually reaching 100%. He then started Geomax Rubber Innovative Products Sdn Bhd and launched the brand Solewell, specialising in sustainable rubber footwear that ranges from flip-flops and sandals to safety and men’s shoes.

Repurposing nitrile glove waste also reduces the cost of production and enhances our products’ performance, says Ng. Upcycling nitrile gloves reduces the need to secure synthetic rubber feedstock and avoids the challenges posed by the feedstock’s volatile prices.

He came up with a simple method of crushing rejected nitrile gloves into fine powder, which then goes through a chemical process and bonds back to become rubber. “The advanced eco-material produced is lighter, consists of no toxic materials and is easier to process [into shoes].”

Only freshly rejected nitrile gloves are accepted, secured from partner factories, Ng adds.

It was not all sunshine and rainbows, as Ng faced doubters at the start of his journey. “Luckily, I met my co-founder, Andrew [Siah]. He and my team believed in me and gave me the opportunity to work together [to further develop this project].”

Through years of improvisation and product testing, Ng managed to defy many odds and devise the method of recycling nitrile gloves without compromising on quality.

“In terms of application, I hadn’t seen anyone that had really gotten a real breakthrough until I met Steven in 2018 and saw the potential [in his idea],” says Siah.

He laments the fact that over 1,000 metric tons of waste produced at a stage of production in his other company could have potentially been recycled, but instead, it was disposed of in landfills.

“The second stage of our marketing strategy is collecting [used Solewell products] to turn them back into raw materials that can be used for other products like sandals or tiles,” Siah adds.

As sustainability continues to be important to investors and businesses, the founders emphasise the importance of investing in sustainable projects. “Ultimately, what is most important is actually feedback from our customers. Customers have testified that they like our sandals as they have a good grip when walking on slippery surfaces,” says Ng.

Geomax not only focuses on sustainability but also on creating high-quality shoes. Last year, the recycled eco-compound used for its footwear was certified by the Standard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (Sirim) Ecolabel as a quality-performance product. Its eco safety shoes have gone through Sirim’s abrasion resistance testing.

Most Malaysians think that recycled materials are not as good, says Ng, and it’s something he wants to change by raising awareness of the durability of recycled materials through Geomax’s products.

The company is also looking at producing school shoes, as Ng says Malaysia does not manufacture them but relies on imports. The development of its anti-slip eco school shoes comes with the motive of educating children about recycling waste.

“If we don’t start educating them from young [about recycling benefits], it will be hard for them to absorb this concept and be instilled with the recycling mentality when they’re older,” says Siah.

Ng has seen Solewell hit a million ringgit in sales since 2018. By expanding the eco footwear line, he hopes to export his products globally.

Additionally, Ng has been focusing on research and development to create a circular economy for general waste. This includes transforming sawdust into recycled wood products and blending recycled rubber with rice husk tiles to make green building materials.

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