BALENA x ZULU KUKI
Balena has partnered with visionary designer Zulu Kuki to merge the worlds of footwear design and sustainable technology, by combining cutting-edge 3D printing with material innovation. At the heart of this collaboration is BioCir®flex3D, Balena’s material celebrated for its outstanding performance, versatility, and biodegradability. With Zulu Kuki’s creative genius, they’ve crafted a 3D-printed shoe that was inspired by the sleek lines of automotive culture. The shoe is modular and customisable with interchangeable components which are all made from BioCir®flex3D, allowing wearers to personalise their footwear and potentially replace only worn parts.
Balena is a material science company developing advanced bio-based polymers for durable consumer goods. Designed for compatibility with standard manufacturing methods such as injection moulding, extrusion, and 3D printing, Balena materials integrate seamlessly into existing production lines.
Balena’s BioCir® material range is an award-winning portfolio of high-performance biopolymer compositions that are bio-based, biodegradable, recyclable, durable and developed for mass production methods. BioCir® enables brands to control the entire product lifecycle, helping to meet sustainability goals without sacrificing quality, and the materials are designed to twist, flex, and absorb impact, providing new possibilities for product design and functionality. The flexible materials are derived from simple, readily available feedstocks such as castor beans, natural oils, and polysaccharides, formulated to maximise biobased content while maintaining sustainability and circularity. The rigid formulation is based on polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a family of naturally occurring polymers produced by microorganisms that ferment responsibly sourced renewable materials like starch, sugarcane, or cellulose. At the end of their lifecycle, BioCir® products can be collected and processed through Balena’s BioCycling method, which enables safe decomposition and biodegradation. Supported by a global network of composting facilities, this system offers controlled end of life options aligned with nature’s processes, helping brands reduce environmental impact and move toward a circular economy.
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