Do Your Part, How to Be and Live Green in Charlotte, NC

It's a question that's probably stumped many of us.  What can to do with old shoes or with ones that are barely worn but aren't getting worn?  These days, there are many ways for you to Do Your Part and give your old shoes new life. 

 

Let's start with gently worn shoes - anything from flip flops to snow boots.  Soles4Souls is a charity desperate to have them.  They partner with businesses across the country and you can drop off your still-wearable shoes in bins like these.  There are hundreds of similar drop off sites across the country.  Then, the shoes are sent to people in need not just here but around the world.

 

Got old athletic shoes?  One option is to take part in Nike's Reuse-A-S hoe program.  The shoes are ground up and turned into running tracks, basketball courts, tennis courts, and even playgrounds.  Nike accepts any brand of athletic shoe and they'll use every part of the shoe.  You can send your shoe to the company's recycling center or to any Nike store. 

 

Bottom Line:  don't dump your unwanted shoes in the trash!  300 million of them wind up in our landfills each year.  Do Your Part and give them to people in need or get them recycled.  It's an easy thing we all can do!