Mommy Goes Green

The obvious way to get more life out of your shoes is to give them to someone else who will use them or donate to a local charity. But sometimes, shoes just aren’t in good enough condition to be worn again.  Like many things these days, don’t put them in the garbage – it takes 1000 years for shoes to decompose in a landfill.    Recycle them!  Here are a few options:

Nike Reuse A Shoe – Shoes are put through a process that uses a “slice-and-grind” technique, where each shoe is cut into three slices – rubber outsole, foam midsole and fiber upper. These slices are then fed through grinders and purified to be made into Nike Grind.  The Nike Grind material is then made into new products such as track or playground surfaces, outdoor tennis courts and some Nike products such as the outsole of the Nike Pegasus.  Only athletic shoes and LIVESTRONG wristbands are accepted at a drop off facility in countries all over the world or you can mail them in.  I live near a drop off facility and drop off our old shoes there.

Recycled Runners – This online shoe recycling directory will help you find a place to recycle athletic shoes at a drop off facility near you.

Okabashi Shoe Recycling – Okabashi will take back their own shoes, sandals and flip flops and recycle them into new shoes or other goods. When you send them in for recycling, make sure to include your email address and they’ll give you 15% off a new pair!

Unique Eco – A company in Kenya takes old flip flops and makes them into raw materials for local artisans to make unique hand made crafts to sell in local shops and craft fairs.  You have to mail them to Kenya but consider the postage a donation to a great cause.

Earth911 – This online recycling guide will tell you where to recycle anything – just type in ‘shoes’ and your zip code and will find the nearest facilities.

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We’ve all got an old stroller ( or 3 ) hanging out in our garage.  If it’s time to get rid of it, don’t put it in the garbage! You have two better choices:

1.  Sell or give it away on Craigslist or Freecycle – there is likely someone in your neighborhood that needs it and a little extra cash in the pocket couldn’t hurt either.

2.  Recycle it – BabyPlanet can take old strollers and recycle 100% of the parts towards new items.  All you have to do is mail it to them :

ECA Inc.

2710 S. 13th Street

Springfield, Illinois 62703

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If you recycle – here’s something you can feel good about!

• Recycle one aluminum can – SAVE ENERGY TO POWER YOUR TV FOR THREE HOURS
• Recycle one glass bottle – RUN 60 WATT LIGHTBULB FOR 4 HOURS
• Recycle one  small stack of newspaper - SAVE ONE TREE
• Recycle one gallon jug of milk – RUN 100 WATT LIGHTBULB for 11 HOURS
• Recycle one pound of steel ( about 4 canned goods ) – RUN 60 WATT LIGHTBULB for 26 HOURS
• Recycle one gallon of motor oil – SAVE 18 KILOWATT HOURS OF ELECTRICITY ( enough to run your TV for 90 hours )
• Recycle grass clippings ( leave them on your lawn ) – REDUCE FERTILIZER NEEDS BY 1/3

The EPA estimates 75% of our waste is recyclable but we only recycle 25% of it - before you throw something away, check to make sure it absolutely cannot be recycled!  Just because your waste management company won’t accept it curbside, that doesn’t mean it cannot be recycled.  Check out Earth 911 for a local location to recycle anything!

This post may contain affiliate links, please see my disclosure policy.