How to recycle shoes

One of the difficulties of downsizing our possessions can be the regret of sending things to landfill.

Fortunately more and more solutions are becoming available so that unwanted possessions can have a second life.

Today I'm looking at shoes. If they are still wearable you can sell them - or give them to a friend. But sometimes they've just reached the end of their usefulness - as happened to my blue sneakers.

I'd got every last bit of use out of them and was thinking they'd be going in the bin. Then I found out about the clunkily-named ASGASOS initiative.

What can be recycled?

Basically sports-shoes. Sneakers, trainers, runners, football boots, and thongs. Sadly no business shoes or workboots. See the full list.

What happens to them?

The shoes are broken down and the usable components (rubber, leather and fibres) are extracted to make new products including gym mats, floors and playgrounds.

Where can shoes be recycled?

I took mine to a JD store, but several retailers are also involved. Here's the full list and a map.

Other things that can be recycled

The brilliant new way to downsize clothing

How to recycle CDs and DVDs

What to do with 128 pens?

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