Can Tennis Shoes Be Recycled | Here’s How [2022]

If you’re a tennis shoe lover, you’ve probably wondered; can tennis shoes be recycled?

Tennis shoes are one of the most commonly recycled items. In fact, they make up more than a third of all recycled materials! That’s because they’re made of materials that are easy to split apart, such as leather and plastic. Plus, tennis shoes are designed to be worn multiple times, so they’re a great choice for recycling.

This blog post will explore how to recycle shoes?

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What happens to old tennis shoes?

Since tennis shoes are made of many different components, Like some are non-marking shoes, recycling them can be complicated. However, if you throw your old tennis shoes into the recycle bin, they will be broken down and put through a process that yields materials, such as rubber which can be used to make new products.

can tennis shoes be recycled? Unfortunately, this depends on where you live. Some old shoes might still end up in a landfill. However, recycling old tennis sneakers is possible if the right methods are used. 

There are two options you can use for your old worn-out shoes. 

  • Generally, old shoes can be sent to a company that reuses old athletic footwear for things like playground surfaces and track surfaces! 
  • Another option is donating your old tennis shoes to charitable organizations which distribute them to those who cannot afford them.

What to do with worn out shoes?

can tennis shoes be recycled

Tennis shoes that are old and worn out can usually be recycled or donated.

Recycle Old Tennis Shoes

Old tennis shoes can be recycled, check with your local recycling facility to see if they will accept old or worn out tennis shoes. If they do, you can throw them into the recycle bin just like any other item made of rubber.  

You can even cut off the shoelaces before throwing them in the recycle bin to make it easier for recycling companies to separate out your old sneakers.

If you don’t want to put your sneakers into the recycle bin, consider donating them. Different organizations collect old tennis shoes and send them to countries where they can be sold at low prices. If you’re interested in donating your worn out or broken-down sneakers, check with local charities near you!

How recycle old sneakers?

Court sneakers recycling is more complex than most people realize because sneakers are made from so many different materials. Their recycling starts with sorting all of the pieces. 

For example, cushioning rubbers must be separated out before the other parts of the shoe are ground up and melted into one piece of material for reuse. After this processing step is complete, all of the components can be remolded to make new products. 

The final product will depend on market demands, but sneakers that are made of rubber go into making asphalt.

Do all types of sneakers have recyclable parts?

In general, any tennis shoe with a sole made from rubber can be recycled at most facilities. However, companies may not recycle more specific components such as shoelaces or insoles due to a lack of demand for these pieces. 

If the company that’s recycling your sneakers does not accept these parts, you can give them to someone who makes crafts out of rubber pieces, such as a jeweler, or save them to use for repairs.

Help Other People Recycle Their Shoes

Do you know someone who needs to get rid of their old tennis shoes? Offer to take them off their hands so that they aren’t filling up the landfill! 

Share this blog post on social media and inform people about how easy it is to recycle old tennis shoes. Then pass along any extra pairs you receive to organizations that accept worn out tennis shoes.

Nike Recycling Program

Old shoes can be sent in and recycled into new athletic material. Nike has a recycling program where old shoes can be sent in and recycled into new athletic material. This shows that old shoes have a second life in many ways!

Recycle Old Shoes For Money

Donating old shoes is a great idea, but some people might have more shoes than they can donate. Some of these people might choose to recycle old tennis shoes instead, but can tennis shoes be recycled? how does the process of recycling old tennis shoes work?

If you recycle your old shoes for a little bit of money, a company called TerraCycle will recycle your sneakers and make new products with them!

TerraCycle has its own line of recycled products such as recycling bins and even water bottles made out of recycled materials like your old sneakers!   

Read more Are Tennis Shoes Good For Walking?

Benefits Of Recycling Tennis Shoes

shoe recycling near me

By recycling old running shoes, you are not only helping the environment but also helping the community! Recycling old tennis shoes is beneficial in many ways.

  1. Oftentimes, shoes that are sent to Nike end up in developing countries like Haiti where the Haitians are in need of shoes. This makes recycling old running shoes a great way to recycle and help others get rid of their worn-out tennis shoes at the same time.  
  2. Every year millions of shoes expire in the USA which creates environmental issues, Recycling these old shoes helps the environment.
  3. For example, it decreases the environmental impact of manufacturing new ones. It allows you to extend the life cycle so that your old shoes have an extra chance of reuse (and may lower replacement costs). Plus it’s fun!
  4. Decreases environmental impact: Recycling reduces waste and conventional energy use during production.
  5. Extends life cycle: The more times a shoe can be reused, the less likely it is to end up in a landfill.
  6. Fun! Recycling your old tennis shoes is not only good for the Earth; you also get bragging rights for doing something green! Can this process of recycling make new tennis shoes?
  7. It’s possible to make new tennis shoes out of recycled materials (such as rubber), but it isn’t always economical. If you want to recycle your old shoes into new ones, then there are some options available to you, such as eSparkBalls and Nike Grind.
  8. Nike Grind and eSparkBalls are both companies that transform recycled materials from Nike products into playing balls.
  9. Recycling your old tennis shoes makes them available to be remolded and put through the recycling cycle again! This saves resources because it requires less energy to make something from recycled materials than virgin materials. 
  10. By recycling tennis shoes instead of throwing them away, you’re helping reduce air pollution associated with manufacturing new products too.

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Conclusion:

Recycling old shoes is a great way to reuse old materials and recycling tennis shoes can help make new shoes or be used for other things like making new products. Whether you choose to recycle your old running shoes by donating them, recycling your old sneakers for money, or choosing to reuse a shoe, we hope that this blog post has inspired you and given you some ideas on can tennis shoes be recycled?

If you liked the information in this blog post about what happens when you recycle tennis shoes, read our other posts here: Nike Sustainability (website).

  • How do you dispose of old pair of shoes?

    There are many old shoe recycling programs where you can dispose of your old pair of shoes. Those programs reuse old athletic footwear for things like playground surfaces and track surfaces. Many shoes can also be donated if old and worn out.

  • Does Nike recycle old shoes?

    Yes, old worn-out shoes are recyclable. They can be sent to Nike to be reused in another form. Old shoe materials are also recyclable and old laces and shoelaces can be made into new ones.

  • Where to recycle tennis shoes near me?

    Old worn-out shoes can be dropped off at old shoe recycling programs. Some charitable organizations also accept old shoes as donations. When recycling old tennis shoes, old athletic footwear can be sent to companies that reuse old shoes for the playground.

  • Can you put shoes in recycling bin?

    Many recycle old shoes drop-off sites recycle old tennis shoes as well as other types of worn out shoes. Oftentimes, recycling companies reuse old shoes for playgrounds, recycle old shoe materials, and recycle old laces and shoelaces. This shows that old tennis shoes can be recycled in many ways, and that old shoe recycle programs can recycle worn out shoes of all kinds.

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