New research shows that the average Australian owns five pairs of shoes they don’t use, an equivalent of a 100 million national shoe stockpile that could end up in landfill.

Given that over 110 million shoes are imported into our country by the retail industry every single year, these stats don’t fall “solely” on the individual.

At least 51 per cent of respondents said they do bin their unwanted shoes, but largely due to a lack of shoe recycling options.

A cardboard solution may lie in your local sneaker shop.

The “TreadLightly” recycling initiative has set up bins for unwanted sport shoes in storefronts like Rebel Canberra Centre, and they’re recycling those shoes into flooring for the same stores – as well as gyms and playgrounds.  

The initiative is a joint project of the Australian Sporting Goods Association (ASGA) and recycler, Save Our Soles (SOS).

Shaun Bajada, executive director of ASGA, says some Rebel stores have already installed changing room floors made from the foam and PPU rescued by the initiative, bringing the recycling process “full circle” – a sentiment at the heart of the program.

“To date, we’ve recycled over 39,000 pairs of shoes since June, from over 400 collection locations across the country,” said Bajada.

“There’s a big appetite to recycle across Australia, and a lot of that is coming out of Canberra. From what we can see, Canberrans are quite good at recycling.

“Our Converse bin in the Canberra Outlet Centre has seen particular success. Ten per cent of our total collection is currently coming out of the ACT.”

Given that the ACT is only 1.7 per cent of the population, it’s safe to say that Canberrans are punching above their weight.

The bins first popped up in Victoria and have sprouted all over the country since June, spurred on by funding received from the federal government.

The initiative began as a brainchild of Save Our Souls, a premium footwear recycler in Australia, which approached Bajada back in 2019. “The idea was that ASGA would design a platform to act as a collection point, and SOS would take over behind the scenes as recyclers.”

“We call for active shoes specifically because they are typically more worn down and used,” said Bajada.

Together, he and John Elliott from SOS pitched the program to major brands like Asics and Converse.

“The brands are able to amplify a better outcome for the community,” said Bajada. “The initiative has already seen competitors getting together for the good of the community and the environment, combining their resources.”

Bajada’s driving motivation in the project is to create an ongoing sustainable recycling service in Australia, “funded by the industry, and free to the public”.

In this light, TreadLightly may be a tangible example of brands stepping up to take environmental responsibility off the shoulders of the individual.

“We want to recycle one million pairs of sports and active lifestyle shoes by 2023.”

Canberra residents can do their bit for the planet by dropping off their old sport shoes at Rebel Canberra Centre, Westfield Woden or Belconnen, and in Canberra Outlet Centre at the Asics, Converse, and New Balance stores.

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