There’s a debate as to whether or not climate change is an existential threat to all life on earth or not. Wherever you fall on that side of the discussion, sustainability remains a critical issue. The fact is that tons of waste go to American landfills every year. According to the EPA, clothing and shoes created 13 million tons of trash in 2018 in landfills. As we know, sneakers and athletic shoes get made with leather and rubber—significant contributors to the waste.
Problems with the Waste We Create
Everyone has a responsibility to make sure our planet and communities adhere to good recycling and sustainability practices. When we don’t recycle properly, for instance, we create problems for ourselves. For example, did you know that not everything in landfills decomposes quickly, if at all? Shoes and sneakers, for example, could take an entire human lifetime to decompose! Another issue is health in communities surrounding landfills.
As you may know, people who live near garbage dumps have a higher incidence of health and respiratory issues. Moreover, when garbage gets burned in landfills, the smells are not only noxious; they are not pleasant. Also, some landfills leak toxic chemicals into underground water sources. Unfortunately, lobbying is big business in our country. We do have a situation where corporations, instead of the government, say what they will and will not do concerning sustainability.
What is Sustainability?
An excellent place to start figuring out good recycling across all our communities is for everyone to get informed. When people learn more about recycling, they could push elected officials to create reasonable regulations. The definition of sustainability means “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations…” Further, sustainability focuses on 3 pillars:
- Economic
- Environmental
- Social
Informally, sustainability is about profits, the planet, and, of course, people. So, when you take the information together, you begin to understand that all of us could play a part in creating a better planet for the present and future. However, the main issue is that most people don’t know how or where to recycle. Sure, everyone knows how to get rid of paper and plastics, but not many know how to recycle clothing or sneakers.
What You Can Do with Old Sneakers
As mentioned earlier, 13 million tons of clothes and sneakers fill our landfills across our country. In fact, textiles make up a significant portion of what’s in landfills. As we know, landfills could poison the communities where they exist. So, the question is, how could we do better? One way of doing it is to think before we place sneakers and athletic shoes in the trash.
Everyone could do their part. As we know, the athletic community is about bettering themselves and others. For example, a CrossFit gym did something selfless during the 2020 pandemic. When they had to close their doors because of stay-at-home orders, they decided to recycle sneakers for a nonprofit helping people with prosthetics. It just goes to show how good people could be, and it should give us all a little faith in our communities.
Why Recycling Sneakers is a Good Social Move
As we know, runners have to change their sneakers every 300 to 500 miles. So, that usually means a new pair of running shoes. Sneakers remain one of the most challenging things to decompose. Most types of footwear have about 30 to 40 different parts. All of these parts, including the upper and lower soles, get stitched and glued together. One of the main components of sneakers is rubber, and that’s a material that takes a long time to decompose.
So, while athletic people need sneakers, they should join others in the sustainability and recycling movement. What if we told you there’s an easy way to get rid of old sneakers? Would you do it? Well, there’s a straightforward way to recycle sneakers, which could end the guilt of you throwing athletic shoes in the garbage. And that’s by simply collecting all of your sneakers and placing them in prepaid bags for a recycling program. That’s it. That’s all you have to do. Moreover, when you do it, you raise funds for a good cause, improve sustainability for the planet, and extend the sneakers’ lives shipped to developing nations.
Next time you have a pair of athletic shoes and you walk over to the garbage can in your kitchen, take a moment to think. Remember that throwing sneakers in the trash hurts the planet’s sustainability. Also, remind yourself that there’s a better way. And, all you have to do is to look into a recycling program. It really is just that simple.
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