The Red, White, and Green

Photo via Flickr: Don Hankins

I recently rediscovered running (OK, more like light jogging) over my Thanksgiving vacation in Chicago. The weather was too crisp and glorious to pass up, and let’s just say I had more than my share of pumpkin pie fueling my exercise. What wasn’t so fabulous were the worn-out, five-year-old athletic shoes I brought with me. Time to pick up a new pair!

What to do with the old ones, though? I suppose having to toss an old pair in the trash every couple years (sooner, if you log substantial mileage) could be considered a justifiable evil, considering that throwing on a pair of shoes and heading outside for a run or walk is just about the most eco-friendly exercise there is — certainly when you compare it to the electricity-guzzling treadmills and elliptical machines at your local gym, not to mention the fossil fuel necessary to drive there.

But luckily, I don’t have to calculate the GHG emissions for the shoes-rotting-in-a-landfill scenario, because there’s a great, free recycling program available: Nike Reuse-a-Shoe. Drop off your old athletic shoes — of any brand — at a Nike store or one of 300 drop-off locations worldwide, and every part of the shoe will be broken down into raw materials for athletic surfaces like running tracks and basketball courts. Click here to watch how.

More than 24 million pairs of shoes have been collected through the program worldwide since 1990. But considering that by my rough estimate, over 300 million pairs of athletic shoes are purchased each year in the US alone, clearly the word needs to get out there about Reuse-a-Shoe and other recycling programs.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Inspired to spread the word to your fellow harriers? Organize a shoe drive through the Nike program.

Related posts:
Reduce, reuse, Freecycle
Green goods

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