UK Energy Saving already has a page on clothes recycling, but what about shoe recycling specifically? For many people shoes can last literally for years, but even then there comes a point eventually when they are either embarrassingly out of fashion or falling apart! Then there are children’s shoes which are either like new or completely falling apart when they grow out of them! Shoe recycling is therefore important and another way to make sure that more waste doesn’t end up in land fill.
Shoe recycling can be achieved in a number of ways. Before you get rid of them, do first of all think about whether they can actually be used further, either by refashioning or repairing them, or by using them, for example, as gardening shoes. If not, their fate depends largely on their condition. Pairs of shoes in reasonable shape can be donated to charity shops for resale, or alternatively you could find out whether a local organisation could make use of them. Perhaps a theatre group or homeless centre, for example.
Most local authority recycling centres also have shoe recycling facilities, and the shoes are either reused, for example in developing countries, or sent off for recycling. The component materials of shoes can be reused, for example as sport surfaces. Whether donating shoes to charity or putting them in a recycling bin, make sure that they are tied together in order that they do not become separated.
If you want some more ideas for shoe recycling, check out the How Can I Recycle This? website for innovative suggestions.
