Recycle Your Shoes!

Recycle Your Old Shoes

Did you know that Americans discarded more than 300 million pairs of shoes – in just one year!  With the American population at well over 300 million, that’s an astonishing almost-one-pair-for-every-man-woman-and-child.  It’s probably a similar story in most developed countries. But did you know you could recycle your shoes? And it’s not the only option!

So, what can you do with your old shoes?

1. If you wish to continue to wear them, save yourself a lot of money and have them repaired if necessary (and if you can find a place!).  That’s the most eco-friendly option.
2. If you want to discard them, don’t just throw them in the trash.  They’ll end up in landfill and no one will benefit. Recycle them instead!

How to Recycle Your Shoes

(and be sure to read the P.S.)

• If they’re gently worn, find a charity like Soles4Soles.  They collect shoes, sneakers, boots, sandals etc. and re-furbish them.  Then the shoes are given to low-income school districts and to shelters for victims of domestic violence and the homeless in the USA, as well as overseas.
• If your shoes are too worn to wear, go to Nike’s site Reuse-A-Shoe where shoes are recycled into material for playgrounds, basketball courts and other surfaces.
• In the UK go here.  For Canada, many of the sites listed above also cover Canada.  Or for your country, go to Google and type “recycle shoes” and then the name of your country, to find a solution near you.
• Many shoe shops and sports stores all over the world offer collection points for old shoes.

P.S.  I always thought shoes were necessary for comfort and for foot protection, but I didn’t know the full story.   Shoes also provide protection against parasitic diseases in countries with poor sanitation.  In addition, they can give children access to an education, because footwear is an attendance requirement at many schools.

Don’t ever throw away another pair of shoes!

Shoe Drive

Once you find a collection point near you, why not organise a collection – get your friends and neighbours involved?  See this video for some ideas.

The Benefits

Recycling your shoes costs you nothing, and you can easily help someone less fortunate than you.  You’ll also be helping the environment by requiring less resources for new manufacturing, and getting extra use from resources already used.

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Warm regards