By now, you’ve heard of the challenges we have as it relates to climate. But did you also know that it’s a matter of waste colonialism? What do we mean by that? As the leading sneaker reuse program in the nation, we take pride in what we gather and ship into the reuse market. However, there are providers in the market who cream the best preloved sneakers so they can sell it on platforms such as eBay or Amazon.
Waste colonialism may sound like some coded “woke” speak, but it’s not. The concept simply means that wealthy countries send their waste to less affluent nations. In places like Costa Rica or Pakistan, there are thriving reuse markets. Countries in Western Europe and the US send used apparel and sneakers in the reuse economy. But some of it is unusable. If sneakers were torn and worn, would you use them?
The chances are that you don’t want to purchase secondhand sneakers that are torn, dirty and with holes in the soles. Unfortunately, countries worldwide in the secondhand economy get some of these items shipped by unscrupulous vendors in the reuse market. What some do is to sell the best sneakers in the US or Europe for higher prices and then ship the waste to developing nations. That’s waste colonialism.
What You Can Do to Support Ethical Sustainability
To understand the realities of waste colonialism, let’s consider life in a developing country in the Global South. Many, but not all, countries in the Global South experience global inequality, with some nations having much more wealth and power. As a result, many countries experiencing inequality have a higher number of people living in poverty. That impacts health, education, living standards, and work opportunities.
And millions, if not billions, of families in the secondhand reuse economy need a hand-up with quality items to sell. Ethical sustainability allows us to better ourselves and, as an additional benefit, people worldwide. How? Well, we can use ethical providers for sneaker reuse. And we can also avoid buying fast fashion, including junky sneakers. Let’s keep those athletic shoes from all markets.
100 billion to 150 billion articles of fast-fashion clothing and footwear are created each year. That footwear damages the environment, but it does more. Those cheap textiles, including athletic shoes, come at a cost. For our American communities, we have increased taxes due to municipal garbage collection for that waste. And for the world, bad actors lean into waste colonialism to make a profit.
How You Can Disrupt Bad Actors Stealing Your Old Sneakers
Now that you know why it’s important to get rid of quality preowned sneakers, athletic shoes, and clothing in ethically sustainable ways, it’s time to discuss what all of us can do. Again, we can lower costs in our communities by lowering municipal waste costs. We can help the planet and the environment by keeping sneakers out of landfills and being globally socially responsible. So, here’s what you can do today!
1. Partner with Circular Economy Champions
Running retailers, marathoners, and road runners are amazing! They’re all about community. So, one thing anyone in these communities can do is partner with a reputable secondhand reuse sneaker program.
2. Ethical Redistribution of Sneakers
Let’s say you’re an individual or a local gym, and you’re looking to do something good for yourself and your community. Consider participating in a sneaker mail-in program that will support a good cause.
3. Become a Sneaker Collection Point
When you join the global reuse economy movement and reuse before recycling, you close the doors to unethical resellers. So consider becoming a sneaker collection location in your retail store, gym, or club. Support sustainability and the planet.
Take a Stand for Sustainability and Social Good
The fight for doing better in our communities and against climate change and waste colonialism starts with awareness and action. For one, we need to inform ourselves about what throwing sneakers away in the trash really means. Again, it comes at a cost. Once we’re aware and informed, we can make different and better choices.
We hope you agree that meaningful change takes time and happens one step at a time. But it’s not impossible. We can transform waste into secondhand resources, which is an alternative to waste colonialism. It can benefit Americans and our communities, keep bad actors from profiting, and give a hand-up to others.
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