Niche recycling programs are popping up, and even old shoes have become sought after.
Australians are being urged to surrender their old shoes. Credit: Getty
Sweat-stained running shoes, double-pluggers that have blown out, work boots that smell so bad they could kill a cat at 20 paces.
They're pure gold to recyclers and Australians are being urged to surrender them. As the nation looks towards creating a more sustainable, circular economy, more and more niche recycling programs are popping up and shoes are no exception.
The TreadLightly program, backed by the Australian Sporting Goods Association and recycler Save Our Soles, has already recycled more than 600,000 pairs of shoes.
But that's a drop in the ocean, with the association saying 25 million sports shoes are imported into Australia every year. Read more here: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/planning-to-chuck-your-old-stinky-shoes-in-the-bin-dont-theyre-in-hot-demand/ckqi3w6bn