The sneakers you wear on your runs have stories that go beyond just running. They have second-chance stories as a result of sneaker recycling impact. In short, when you join the movement, including the nation’s leading marathons and road races, you keep athletic shoes out of landfills. But you do so much more! The impact is about environmental sustainability, the reuse economy, and empowering people in many developing nations around the world.
Over
37+ Million
pairs of sneakers kept out of landfills.
More than
$16 Million
paid to sustainability partners and their local charities.
Empowers
4,000+
microentreprenuers in the reuse economy.
Supported by
21,000
reuse partners and drop-off locations nationwide.
Sneakers and the Environment: Keeping Them Out of Landfills
When you partner with Sneakers4Good, the sneaker recycling impact is massive. Every year, more than 300 million shoes get thrown away in the USA, and most end up in landfills. Worldwide, that figure is even greater, with 22 billion shoes getting discarded, and again, most going to landfills. Those sneakers and shoes can take more than a lifetime to decompose. And all the while, they emit toxins into the air and ground.
When you choose to become a partner, you can position yourself in a new and fresh way as a sustainability leader in your community. Every road race, marathon, gym, university groups, and others can collect sneakers and redirect them into the reuse economy. In turn, you can create global opportunities beyond your community, as you’ll see by reading below. You can also support your local community by earning funds for a good cause or charity.
The Reuse Economy: Sneakers Transforming Lives
When you become a partner of Sneakers4Good, you do more than support the environment and sustainability. You change lives and provide opportunities. For one, all the sneakers and athletic shoes you collect as a hub for reuse and recycling sneakers, give a hand-up to small businesses in developing nations. In other words, the athletic shoes get shipped overseas to become inventory for over 4,000 micro-entrepreneurs to make a sustainable living.
As we know well, economic opportunities are essential for families. In developing countries, where options are limited, selling used sneakers is an excellent way for people to make a living. Those sneakers create income for families, independence, and dignity. Sneakers4Good also provides jobs within the reuse economy for micro-entrepreneurs and our team here in the USA. In short, sneaker reuse helps provide financial stability for families.
Stories from Haiti: Steps Toward a Better Life
All the sneakers and athletic shoes collected through our partners are redirected into the reuse economy. These are just three short stories of over 4,000 micro-entrepreneurs. Here are three stories from Haiti that show how sneaker recycling impact becomes real change:
Yrosse is a single mom of four children in Haiti. She sells the shoes collected in the USA to make a living with her own business. Her most popular shoes are Adidas, which she sells to support her children and grandchildren.
Joanna lost her husband during the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. She sells reused shoes and sneakers for $15 a day to support herself. Her dream is to open a shop, so she won’t have to sell footwear on the streets.
James started selling shoes when he was 13 years old to survive. He travels an hour and a half each way to sell shoes to support his young son. He says, “I prefer selling used shoes instead of being a gang member.”
Every pair of sneakers our micro-enterprise partners can sell isn’t just a transaction. It’s an opportunity to make a living and hope for a good future.
Real Impact. Real Trees.
Tree Planting & Green Sneakers: Reforesting with Purpose
Sneaker recycling impact is about environmental and economic opportunities. That’s why we created the Green Sneakers program. We know some of our partners want to get paid to become a sneaker collection hub for sustainability and to earn funds for a good local cause. Other partners want to choose to support environmental sustainability through and through. And that’s where the Green Sneakers program comes in.
The Green Sneakers program is done through a partnership with veritree. So, when you become a hub for sneaker collection, you can choose to plant trees in East Africa. Environmental change is causing the urgent need to rebuild ecosystems, boost biodiversity, and support sustainable agriculture. Our partners have planted nearly 10,000 trees, with a goal of 1,000,000. Real impact. Real trees. All for good!
Take the Next Step
Want to learn more about the opportunities of sneaker reuse and recycling?