Oral · Pages 156–162
Abstract
Research summary supplied by the authors
In the past years, climate change led the United Nations to defi ne the Sustainable Development Goals Statement “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future”. Subsequently, the European Commission proposed the “Bioeconomy” concept followed by the Green Deal Policy, encouraging the bases for a future economy founded on renewable sources and circularity. COP 26 conference in Glasgow accelerated the decision to fi ght against global warming, proposing a net reduction of fossil- based fuels and materials. Various materials were proposed in recent years claiming sustainability advantages from different points of view (animal free, waste recycled, plant based, circular, among others), without a transparent statement of the composition and proportion of renewable carbon sources used for their production. Transparency in sustainability and circularity statements needs justifi cation by means of a robust analytical backing. Our research team individuated SCAR spectroscopy as a reliable method to quantify bio-based carbon content and thus an important identifi er for biomass / fossil carbon proportions. SCAR, capable of performing radiocarbon measurements by use of mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers, was validated against Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) on samples of materials within the range 0- 100 pMC (percent of Modern Carbon). This paper includes the analysis of different types of leather and vegan alternatives proposed for equivalent shoe components’ applications, with their intrinsic fossil / biomass carbon contents.