How to Recycle Old Shoes
Have you worn out your favorite pair of sneakers? Why let your shoes fill up a local landfill? They may still have many miles to go. There are several ways to make use of shoes that have outlived their usefulness to you (or that you've grown out of). Trying one of these options means one less article of trash at your doorstep, and one more resource for the community.
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Don't be ashamed of hand-me-downs. If you've grown out of your shoes, and they're still in decent condition, give them to a family member or friend. Avoid the poisonous irrationality of marketing culture that says everything has to be new all the time. Promoting a culture of re-usability is more responsible and easier on everybody's pocketbook.
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Give to the Salvation Army. Again, if the shoes are in okay condition, someone else might want to wear them. The Salvation Army, an old and venerable institution, is willing to facilitate this exchange for you. Just make sure you get the shoes in the right donation bin; don't just throw them in the front yard.
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Send your shoes to Nike's Reuse-a-Shoes program. Nike takes your old shoes and makes them into what they call "grind" products. These are then used for all kinds of materials, including the base for the floors of tennis and basketball courts.
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Make a "free" bin. Put the shoes in a box on the street and see if there are any takers. Be responsible; if you don't keep an eye on the "free" box, you might as well have thrown them away. On the other hand, if somebody takes them, they're out of your hands. An artist or scavenger might have a personal use for the old shoes: as the old axiom goes, one person's trash is another's treasure.
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Make a "garden scuplture". One additional use for old shoes is a "green thumb" solution. Fill the shoe with soil and transplant some hardier greens into the top or between the laces. This works best with a hiking boot or some nice-looking outdoor shoe. Over time, the plants will take over, and your old shoe will be an interesting front-yard planter.
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