The bad news
According to the Australian Sporting Goods Association (ASGA), 110 million shoes make their way to Australia and one in four of those shoes are sports footwear. When sports shoes go to landfill, their components can take up to 1000 years to decompose; that's an awfully long time for items that are often thrown out after being used for only 12 months.
The good news!
ASGA has teamed up with leading Australian recycling partner Save Our Soles (SOS) to create TreadLightly.
This is a national recycling initiative that takes old sport and active lifestyle footwear and recycles it here in Australia to give it new life.
If your footwear is still in good condition, it's best to donate it to a charity store; if it's beyond use, you can now recycle them.
Here's how it works
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Customer drops off pre-loved sports shoes at one of the collection locations at participating retail locations.
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Donated footwear is sent to the recycling plant here in Australia for sorting, breakdown, and processing.
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Reusable components are extracted, including rubber, leather, and fibres at the recycling facility.
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Reclaimed materials are used to manufacture new products such as gym mats, floors, and playgrounds.
Checklist
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Please tie shoelaces together before donating to keep pairs matched
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Sports shoes only
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Max 5 pairs per person
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Drop them off!
Which shoes can I recycle?
They accept:
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Athletic lifestyle shoes
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Any sports branded shoes
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Thongs & slides
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Football boots
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Leather sports shoes
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Hiking boots
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Sneakers
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Runners
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Golf shoes
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Formal leather school shoes
They DO NOT accept:
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Business footwear
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Formal leather school shoes
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Steel cap boots
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Work boots
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Wedges
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Pumps
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Leather dress boots & ballet flats
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Heels
Almost one million pairs of accepted shoes have already been recycled.
Find your nearest collection site
