Sustainability is essential, and that means we each have to do our part to start living a sustainable lifestyle. We love our sneakers just as much as anyone else and so we want to share 5 ways for you to recycle old sneakers. You know the pair. It’s the one you have hidden in your closet and the ones you tell yourself you’ll figure out what to do with them someday. Well, now we have 5 awesome ideas for you. Once you finish reading this post, go pull them out and try out one of our suggestions!
1) Try Out the Sneakers For Good Program
Got lots of sneakers in your closet? Or better still, are you a member of a running club, sports team, or have a store with merchandise. Well, the Sneakers For Good program is for you! When you participate, you recycle old sneakers. What’s more, there are zero costs to you or anyone who contributes their old athletic shoes.
When you partner with the nation’s largest athletic shoe recycling program, you have the chance to get rid of old sneakers. The program is global, and partnering with the market leader ensures you dispose of sneakers responsibly. Also, you earn funds for a good cause in your community, help people worldwide make a living, and support sustainability!
2) Resole and Resale Your Athletic Shoes
Another great idea you could do with your sneakers is to resole and sell them for some extra cash. With the warm weather, spring and summer cleaning’s in the air. And every year, thousands have outdoor garage and yard sales. You could do it too and get rid of athletic shoes you don’t want any longer.
First, depending on the quality of your sneakers, think about resoling them. Athletic shoes, especially those of runners, tend to get worn on the soles. So, to get a premium price for your old sneakers, look to get them resoled, cleaned up, and then sell them along with other merchandise you have a garage or yard sale.
3) Participate in Brand Sneaker Recycling
Did you know that Nike has a recycling program for its sneakers? So far, it’s one of the few athletic shoe recycling efforts by brands, but more should be on the way. As we know, Corporate America and the apparel industry are waking up to the reality that they have to become sustainable!
If you happen to have Nike sneakers, then consider recycling old sneakers by visiting their site for information. Essentially, you return the old athletic shoes to Nike, which places them in the Nike Grind. Then, the materials from those old sneakers get used to making new ones. All you have to do is drop off your kicks at a participating Nike retail store.
4) Donate Your Old Sneakers in Your Community
Unfortunately, the U.S. has a homeless crisis, and the pandemic didn’t help matters. Nearly 175,000 people are homeless in the U.S. About 17,000 people live on their streets, cars, or in places not intended to be homes. In other words, there’s a lot of need out there. So, while you might not need your sneakers, there are people in your community who could use the athletic shoes.
If you have sneakers you don’t need, including those for children, contact homeless shelters in your community. You could also reach out to food banks and other crisis centers, including domestic violence shelters. If the first place you call isn’t accepting sneakers and shoes, ask them to refer you.
5) Be Smart With Your Future Sneaker Purchases
Our final idea to recycle old sneakers is to be mindful of your future purchases. Whether you purchase men’s casual sneakers, women’s shoes, or anything unisex, think about what you buy. We love the 4 earlier ideas, such as the Sneakers For Good program to recycle athletic shoes. But, we know we’re all going to need to purchase new sneakers eventually. So, we want to share a few of the best brands that make sustainability a priority.
As we mentioned earlier, Nike’s a good one for sneakers because of their Reuse-A-Shoe Program, but others also exist. For instance, Everlane is all about sustainability for its products. Cariuma is another brand that’s core is sustainability in its products. However, remember that as we move toward sustainability, big brands, such as Adidas and Converse, are also moving toward using recycled materials.
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