Nike Kicks Off Shoe Recycling Program

Nike Shoes is beginning a pilot program, calledReuse-A-Shoe, to collect used athletic shoes in a curbside program. The project,to last two weeks, will be with residents of Laguna Beach, Calif.

According toa press release, Bill Malloch, strategic director – Footwear Sustainability,says that shoes in good condition will be donated to charity.

As part of the program every household in Laguna Beachreceived a recycled plastic bag several weeks ago which can hold between 5-7pairs of shoes.

Once the shoes are collected, the Nike Reuse-A-Shoeprogram will sort, clean, cut and grind them up to create a material calledNike Grind.

"There's still value in product when people disposeof their shoes-either to other people or as Nike Grind," said Malloch."Through Reuse-A-Shoe we have developed a market for our recycledmaterial. The shoes are processed, materials separated and granulated into NikeGrind. Nike Grind is then used in athletic courts, tracks, fields and playgroundsurfaces."

Each year, the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program collects andrecycles more than two million used athletic shoes (not just Nike, but anybrand) a year. Since the beginning of the program, some 13 million pairs ofathletic shoes have been recycled and Nike has donated 70 athletic surfaces toU.S. communities.