Denbighshire, UK, 18th June 2008 - A new Brazilian brand of flip flops which is helping to solve an ongoing environmental problem is now available in the UK. Ethical fashion website Earth & Wear (www.earthandwear.com) has just received its first stocks of 'Amazons' – sandals manufactured from recycling used tyres.

An estimated 20 milliion tyres a year are discarded in Brazil, ending up in landfill, lakes and rivers. Typically these take hundreds of years to decompose. They collect rainwater which stagnates and then become a breeding ground for mosquito larvae which then spread disease, especially in tropical climates. Only 20% of tyres are currently recycled in Brazil.

Pioneering brand Amazon, based in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, have found an innovative way to process old tyres so that they can be turned into rubber for manufacturing the soles of their sandals.

Old tyres are cut into chips, processed into powder and then purified using a system of sieves. The powder is ground to the required granulation then treated to devulcanise the rubber. The resulting material is then formed in presses to create the sandals' soles.

Amazon's factory in São Paulo employs 185 people and it is hoping that this can be increased if demand for the brand increases. So far they have recycled over 800,000 used tyres.

Presently 2 styles of sandal are available – Tupi with a black sole, and Cipó which also incorporates a natural fibre running through the sole. Both styles can be bought with a choice of 5 different coloured straps – black, green, white, gold and silver.

Amazon sandals can be purchased online directly from the Earth & Wear website, www.earthandwear.com and will also be available from other UK shops soon.

For further information please contact the Managing Director of Earth & Wear Ltd:

Mr. Leith Drapes

Tel: 01745 571881

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Earth & Wear Ltd, Unit 10 Talargoch Trading Estate

Meliden Road, Dyserth, Denbighshire, LL18 6DJ

Notes to editors

• Earth & Wear Ltd is an importer, wholesaler and retailer of ethical clothing brands primarily in the UK but also in some European countries

• Earth & Wear is the sole UK distributor for Amazon sandals

• Earth & Wear retails Amazon sandals on it's retail website www.earthandwear.com

• More information about the Amazon brand is available on their website www.useamazon.com.br