A Geelong collection point is the star of an innovative running and sport shoe recycling program, with more than 3,000 pairs being dropped off in just under 18 months.
Geelong's Rebel Sport store is leading the charts as the location to collect the most shoes under the now nationwide Australian Sporting Goods Association's Save Our Soles initiative, which started off as a Victorian trial.
Since the program started in November 2019, more than one tonne of shoes have been dropped off at the store, which is one of 79 collection points across the state.
Geelong is the star of the Save Our Soles program; it continues to perform miles above the rest. ~ ASGA Executive Director Shaun Bajada
The problem: where do 24.3 billion pairs of shoes end up?
A whopping 24.3 billion pairs of shoes of all kinds are produced worldwide in a year, with each pair taking some 1,000 years to decompose in landfill.
The program was an industry first, which had involved the sporting goods industry coming together to be part of an "end of life solution.
No region in the world except Australia has got an industry solution to recycle sport shoes.
Collaborative and inclusive models like this make the outcome far better. ~ Save Our Soles founder John Elliott
John previously worked with Nike where he started its recycled footwear program, in which the old shoes were sent to America, but he knew there needed to be a local solution that had buy-in from several major sporting brands.
The solution: turning old shoes into rubber flooring and running tracks
Under the program, funded by major sporting brands, people can drop off their old running and sport shoes at selected sports stores, which are then recycled and turned into goods such as quality rubber flooring for retail use and sport surfaces, such as running tracks, as well as mats.
Across Victoria, so far more than 35 tonnes or 100,000-plus pairs of shoes have been recycled and created into new products.
Most of the sports brands that fund the program buy back the product, which creates that circular economy. ~ John Elliott
Closing the loop: consumers can see – and stand on - the end result
People can see the results for themselves within many of the stores participating in the program.
The best part is the consumer can see the end of life solution. When you go into sport stores like Rebel, SportsPower and JD Sports and others, you can drop your old shoes off and you can actually stand on the rubber matting made from your old shoes. It's nice for people to see the whole closed loop. ~ John Elliott
The recycling process
All parts of the shoes are recycled, and the entire process happens within Australia.
It involves large quantities of shoes running through the shredder. Any metal is extracted for recycling.
The remaining product, which is made up of fabric, fibres and rubber - ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) and high density foam – becomes 'crumb' and is mixed with other recycled rubber, such as tyres, to create rubber matting and running tracks.
We are exploring other uses for the recycled material, but were very mindful of the need to deliver high quality products, as well as ensuring that both demand and supply were in sync. ~ John Elliott
What's next?
Save Our Soles was initially trialled in Victoria, and due to its success, it is now being rolled out across the nation.
We now have more than 179 collection points nationally, and are hoping to grow that to 500 by the end of 2022.
The next phase of the program will involve working with local charities so that we can reuse the running shoes that are in good ondition, making sure that this process provides positive social and environmental outcomes. Our goal is to reuse wherever we can, and where we can't, recycling is the next step. ~ Shaun Bajada
Recycle your old running shoes
You can drop off your old running shoes (or flat rubber-soled casual or sport shoes) for recycling, as part of the Save Our Soles program, at these locations:
- Rebel Sport Geelong
- Rebel Sport Waurn Ponds
- SportsPower North Geelong
- Globe Shoes Torquay
Shoes in good condition can be donated to local charities or op shops.
