How to Recycle Sneakers

We all use them sneakers, and with ever greater frequency. According to a Eurispes survey, a third of Italians buy a pair at least every three months. In the face of this constant turnover, there is a huge waste: Too many sneakers end up in landfills, creating problems for the entire disposal chain. While they can easily be recycledWith a little creativity, or donate them to the many volunteer organizations that need them. When it's time to clear out your shoe rack, it's easy to come across sneakers we no longer like or that are so worn out they can no longer be worn comfortably. If this happens, throwing them in the trash isn't always the best solution because, like anything, even the shoes we used for exercise can be given a new lease of life. In fact, they can even be very useful for improving some public areas in your neighborhood. Here's what to do with them.

Plant holder

A sneaker can become, for example, an original door plant Or bonsai to place in the garden or, why not, anywhere in the house. Simply clean the base and, if necessary, line the inside with a garbage bag and poke a few holes to prevent water from pooling inside.

Flower holder

Higher sneakers can become, instead, originals brings flowersDo you have a freshly picked bouquet in your hands and don't know where to put it? Why not place it in the tennis shoesFor convenience, you could first place the bunch inside a plastic bottle (with the top cut off) filled halfway with water. This way, they won't get wet.

Sandals

If the shoes are too old or you don't like the color anymore, arm yourself with hot glue, buttons, and a lot of patience. Then, little by little, cover the outside of the shoes with the buttons: you'll have a pair of sandals or a duckbill. Brand new and ready to turn heads.

Stair brakes

Those who want to transform their shoes into something useful for their home, can think about making them, for example, into practical brakes when they need to use the ladder at home. Simply insert the "feet" of the ladder itself into your shoes and you're done.

Rope bracelets

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With old sneakers you can create original rope braceletsAll you need are old shoes and bags with string handles. Cut the fabric around the shoelace loops and reuse them. Wrap colored thread around them to decorate them, then insert the cord, securing it at the ends with small finishing cups and a lobster clasp to close the bracelet.

Decorations

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If the shoes are old but still very comfortable and not exactly ready to be thrown away, you can always think about decorate them with beads, glitter, small pieces of plastic bags Or paint them with acrylic paints. They'll take on a whole new look, and maybe you'll like them so much that you'll start using them every day again, abandoning the idea of throwing them away as you had planned.

Playground flooring

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The material that sneakers are made of can be used to create playground flooring. This was established in 2015 by Esosport, the first project of recycling of sports shoes in Italy and Europe. Esosport has signed agreements with several schools, sports facilities, and shops, equipping them with Esoboxes, recycled cardboard containers for old gym shoes. The soles of the shoes are then separated from the uppers, creating a new raw material. Thanks to an association called Gogreen Onlus, this material will be donated free of charge to public administrations so they can build gardens and parks for children.

Pime Onlus Foundation

Photo Credit | Facebook Run4Dignity

Another possibility, perhaps the best, for don't waste used sneakers, is that of give herThe most active association in this regard is the Pime Onlus Foundation in Milan, where religious and lay people work together on specific volunteer projects. Among these: Run 4 Dignity, which involves collecting sneakers. Once received, the Foundation sells them at flea markets to raise funds, recovers the raw materials (for the most worn-out ones), or donates them directly. The project benefits poor communities in Brazil, Guinea Bissau, and Myanmar.

Nest

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Have you ever thought of recycling sneakers to make a NidoYes, with a little ingenuity, an old sneaker can become a cozy little house for robins, swallows, and any other species that needs shelter. Just hang it from a branch or attach it to a tree trunk. The residents will soon arrive, trust us.

Door stop

A final and practical use for old trainers is to turn them into a shoe stopper. portSimply fill them with sand or pebbles previously placed in a bag and place the shoe near the door you don't want to accidentally close. Of course, you can decorate it first by embellishing it with decorations that match the surrounding environment.

Where to throw away sneakers

Disposing of sneakers isn't complicated, and there's no reason to throw them all over the place, haphazardly. Shoes, laces, insoles, silica gel sachets: everything goes in the unsorted waste. If they're stored in cardboard boxes, only these packaging should be disposed of in the paper and cardboard bins.

Sneakers: 10 Ways to Recycle Them