Eco-friendly transport – by train instead of container ship
Some parts of Genesis sneakers are made in Spain, while other parts are produced in Asia. All Genesis sneakers from Asia are taken by train to Duisburg Harbor, which is five kilometers away. The harbor of Duisburg is the end of a 11,000 kilometer railway line that leads from the Chinese city of Chengdu via Kazakhstan, Russia, Poland to Germany. On the way back the trains bring German cars and goods to the People‘s Republic in the Far East. The route is part of the new Silk Road, a network of trade routes connecting the Republic of China with Asia, Africa, and Europe. The Silk Road has existed for more than 2,000 years and at one point was the most important trade route between Asia and Europe. Because silk was mainly transported from east to west, it got the name Silk Road. We made the decision to have our shoes transported this way consciously, as transport by container ship pollutes the environment to a much higher degree. In fact, the fifteen largest seagoing ships in the world emit more harmful sulfur oxides every year than all 760 million cars worldwide. Seagoing vessels usually sail on the open ocean with heavy oil, leaving behind a filthy pulp on the refinery floor that contains up to 3.5% sulfur. This is 3,500 times more than what is allowed on land by gasoline and diesel. Simply put? The impact this as on the climate is devastating. The black soot particles are blown into the Arctic, where they are deposited on the ice. Here, the dark ice surfaces melt much faster due to the sun‘s rays. In addition, the particulate matter is a danger to the health of humans and wildlife alike. By choosing to have Genesis shoes transported by railway, we have chosen to pursue the most environmentally friendly option feasible.