Mission Recycling: Shoes

I have some challenging items in my Mission Recycling pile, so it was nice to get an easy one out of the way.  I’ve actually dropped off shoes for recycling before, so I knew where to go.  Nike has drop-off locations for its Reuse-A-Shoe program at its stores, and there is a Nike store in downtown Seattle.  Unfortunately, there’s not much parking in the area – the first time I went, I had taken the bus into Seattle.  I kept intending to drop my shoes off some time before work, but I could never figure out how to make it work, so my shoes were just waiting in my car.

Then, last weekend I was shopping for new shoes at a Brooks outlet, and there was a shoe recycling box in the front of the store.  I didn’t note what organization the box was for, but I was excited to get rid of my old shoes.  And now I know that there is a drop-off location a lot closer to me – good information for next time.

What: Worn out athletic shoes

Why: The materials in athletic shoes can be broken down and reused for things like sports surfaces (tracks, basketball courts, tennis courts).  The Nike Reuse-A-Shoe Web site has a cool explanation of how the rubber, foam and fabric are separated and ground and turned into the playing surfaces.  Shoes that aren’t that far gone can be passed along to people in need through organizations like Soles 4 Souls and One World Running.

How: Shoes just need to be dropped off at one of the organizations’ drop-off sites.  Check out the Web sites for locations or the directory at RecycledRunners.com (although it doesn’t seem to be a complete resource – I searched my zip code and the two locations where I’ve dropped shoes off before didn’t even show up).

Cost: None

Mission: Accomplished!