Reuse. Recycle.
Where do your sneakers go?
Helping people. Helping the environment.
The newer “every day use” sneakers collected are offered to local students in need of footwear via local schools.
Any newer “specialty” athletic shoes that are collected are offered to local students to ease the challenges that may prohibit them from participating or keep them from simply trying a sport due to the cost of shoes.
Remaining wearable sneakers go to developing countries where footwear is desperately needed. More than 600 million people worldwide don’t even own a pair of shoes.
Very worn sneakers are used for athletic fields, courts, tracks & playgrounds. This recycling keeps sneakers out of landfills and reduces toxic chemicals from being released in our air and soil. In the United States, at least 200 million pairs of shoes and sneakers end up in landfills each year…and shoes in landfills can take 30 to 40 years to decompose.
Transform Lives
Wearable shoes are first offered for use locally, or otherwise shipped to micro-enterprises in developing countries where they take on a new life. With a consistent stream of inventory from donations, micro-enterprises can find long-term success.
Micro-enterprises are small businesses that require minimal capital to start and run. In developing countries, the ability to open a micro-enterprise can help citizens escape poverty. Goods are sent to micro-enterprise owners to resell, the owners generate income for their family and employees, and the community benefits from low-cost goods they desperately need.
Combat Poverty
Micro-enterprises that receive pre loved athletic shoes do more than just provide income for owners and employees. They also make low-cost footwear available in areas where serious infections from foot injuries and diseases are easily contracted from walking barefoot on contaminated soil.
Additionally, kids previously barred from attending schools where shoes are required can now obtain footwear so they can get a formal education and achieve a better quality of life.
Recycle
Unwearable shoes can be recycled. The athletic shoes are stripped apart, and the materials are separated for reuse.
Athletic shoes are made of a variety of materials that can be broken down, processed and recycled into new products.