An article in the Huffington Post, New York City, considers the possibility of using storytelling as an outreach tool to encourage recycling.
Sarah Murray, a business and society writer, described her recent decision to recycle her well-worn pair of Nike trainers through the Nike Grind program.
“The parting was accompanied by a twinge of sadness,” Murray writes. “I’ve had these shoes for more than 20 years. They’ve seen me through hundreds of gym sessions. I’d got so far with them that I was determined to keep them forever.”
Murray goes on to describe the efforts of some companies and organizations to incentivize consumers to recycle, such as New York City’s ban of electronics from landfills.
“But as well as making it easier for people to recycle, maybe we could do something else,” Murray writes. “Capture people’s imaginations.”
The article describes the idea of portraying recyclables being reused in ways that encourage consumers to part with their weathered belongings. In the example of Murray’s trainers, future athletes may wear recycled shoes. She also cites Elvis & Kresse’s in the U.K., which makes handbags from recycled fire hose.
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