In this paper is described the problematic of eco-labeling in the modern business conditions and considered the term, development and types of eco-labels with a brief overview of environmental standards with an emphasis on a series of standards ISO 9000 and ISO 14000. Eco-labeling criteria are analyzed as well as the advantages and disadvantages of eco-labeling. The situation in the footwear market and its environmental impact are discussed. The criteria for obtaining the EU Eco-label for footwear are outlined and the results of the environmental impact study of footwear using the model of eco-labeling of footwear are presented. The results showed that in the production of leather, synthetic materials and plastics generate the most negative impacts of footwear on the environment which is why replacing the identified materials or reduction of their use is recommended.

The constant increase in the volume of footwear production and its uncontrolled import into the Republic of Srpska, as well as the development of new production technologies imposed the need for assessment of the conditions in the footwear industry and the environmental impact of the production mode and the use of footwear. The technological process of footwear production from the aspect of waste generation and environmental impact was processed, and the criteria for eco-labeling of footwear were analyzed. For the collection of good-quality data, the semi-structured in-depth interviews (public) and the survey (anonymous) method were used. The interviews were conducted in the leading footwear manufacturing companies with the aim of collecting data on the status and characteristics of business operations in order to define the most effective forms of support. The collected data were then thoroughly processed and analyzed, and a brief summary of the situation and suggestions for further activities in the footwear industry were given.

Leather making is a very long process and consists of many different chemical and mechanical operations. The most important operation of the whole leather making process is the tanning, which is performed mainly by vegetable or chrome tanning. With this work, we wanted to establish a connection between the way leather is tanned and its physical and mechanical properties. For this purpose, certain physical and mechanical properties of bovine, sheep and goat leather, which were obtained by chrome and vegetable tanning, were examined. Tests were performed on commercially available leathers. The selected leather samples were tested for thickness, mass per unit area, apparent density, braking force and breaking elongation, while other dimensions were calculated based on previously measured values. After the measurements, the results were compared according to the type of leather and the method of tanning. The obtained results showed better physical and mechanical properties of chrome-tanned leather compared to vegetable-tanned leather, with the highest breaking strength of chrome-tanned bovine leather (70.7 N/mm2). However, for a more precise analysis, when examining the physical and mechanical properties, it is necessary to have more precise data of the origin, tanning parameters and applied leather finishing. The chrome tanning process has advantages in terms of the shorter duration of the tanning process, but chrome tanning process has significant limitations in terms of environmental requirements, which is why the vegetable tanning process is becoming more relevant again.

Vunena vlakna dobijena od domaćih ovaca rase pramenka su veoma gruba, najvećim dijelom ostaju neiskorištena i tretiraju se kao “otpad”. S druge strane, zagađenje vode teškim metalima predstavlja jedan od najvećih problema u oblasti zagađenja vode. U okviru ovog rada ispitivana je sposobnost sorpcije jona bakra iz vodenih rastvora pomoću uzorka domaće vune koja je samo oprana i uzorka vune koja je nakon pranja dodatno odmašćena. Za ispitivanje su korišteni vodeni rastvori jona bakra koncentracije 20 mg/L i 40 mg/L pri pH vrijednosti 5,1. Metodom atomske apsorpcione spektrometrije (AAS) je mjerena koncentracija jona bakra u rastvoru nakon 3, 5, 10, 15 i 30 minuta, kao i nakon 24 časa od potapanja uzorka vune u rastvor. Rezultati su pokazali da vlakna domaće vune imaju dobra adsorpciona svojstva prema jonima bakra što ukazuje da je vuna potencijalni adsorbens za uklanjanje jona bakra iz kontaminirane vode.

Given the increasingly stringent environmental standards mandated today, the functionalization of textile materials using natural biopolymers and plant extracts represents an environmentally acceptable alternative to traditional synthetic agents. To obtain functionalized viscose fabric, a pretreatment process involving periodate oxidation followed by chitosan deposition was performed. Chitosan provides enhanced biological properties due to the presence of amino groups, which enable its deposition and the application of pomegranate peel (Punica granatum L.) extract during functionalization. Pomegranate peel extract contains a large number of bioactive compounds that further enhance the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the functionalized viscose fabric. Changes in surface chemistry, morphology, and biological properties after functionalization and up to five washing cycles were followed by FTIR spectroscopy, zeta potential measurements, SEM, and determination of antibacterial and antioxidant activities, respectively. The results showed a 100% bacterial reduction against Staphylococcus aureus up to five washing cycles, and 100% before and 99% after one washing cycle against Escherichia coli. The antioxidant activity of functionalized viscose (70.5% and 60.1% for 60 min and 120 min pre-oxidized fabrics, respectively) decreased after washing, while the obtained color remained stable after five washing cycles. The results indicate that viscose fabric functionalized with pomegranate peel extract can be used in the production of bioactive clothing for individuals with sensitive skin, as well as household and healthcare textile products.

The modern mass-produced footwear is made of textile, leather, plastic, and rubber parts all glued and sewn together. Textile materials are increasingly being used in the footwear industry. The mechanical properties of the seams used to join individual parts of the shoe upper affect the durability, flexibility and comfort of the footwear. This paper analyses the influence of polyester and polyamide threads of different fineness on the mechanical properties of the seams of the shoe upper made of laminated two-layer textile material. The results showed that the fineness and raw material composition of the thread, as well as the direction of cutting the upper parts, have a very important influence on the strength, elongation and flexibility of the seams, and thus of the shoe.