Nike Makes A Difference

Big Company Big Amounts of Waste

We all know Nike is a large company. In fact, HighSnobiety Nike sells 25 pairs of sneakers every second internationally! A company of this size creates a lot of waste every year. 3,942 metric tons of waste were produced from Nike headquarters around the world. With all this waste Nike decided to start the program called “Reuse-A-Shoe” which aims to recycle shoes into new material. The realization that shoes could be recycled into new shoes and for other uses like sports courts, playgrounds, and new soccer pitches was realized in 1992. Collection bins for old worn out shoes began to pop up inside Nike stores around the country. The shoes that are donated are moved using trailers and trucks to a Nike factory.

“When enough shoes have been collected to fill a 27-foot trailer (approximately 5,000 pairs), Nike will arrange for the shoes to be picked up by Roadway and shipped to the Reuse-A-Shoe recycling facility in Wilsonville, Oregon free of charge.”

How Is Nike Grind Made?

According to GreenBiz in their article “Nike Expands Reuse-A-Shoe Program” the National Coalition will provide communication platforms and tools such as radio spots, posters, and media releases to get the wor out about recycling old shoes. The Shoes are then sorted by hand by workers trained to identify which shoes are eligible to be shredded into the new Nike Grind Material. One example of a shoe that is not allowed to be processed are cleats. The shoes that are eligible to be recycled are then chemically and physically shredded down into three types of materials. Nike Grind rubber is created using the shoe’s outsole. With Nike Grind rubber, Nike can make playground surfaces, track surfaces, gym flooring tiles, and can be used for other Nike shoe products. Nike Grind foam is made from the midsole of the shoe, and can be used for making new shoes, futsal fields, as well as outdoor basketball courts, and outdoor tennis courts. Finally the recycled shoe’s fabric upper is utilized to make cushioning pads for indoor synthetic courts and wood courts. With the help of 28 million shoes recycled since the start of the program in 1992 has helped create all sorts of products and courts with recycled material, says Recycle Nation.

Sport Courts

This article explains how Nike Grind sports courts are also very innovative for a number of other reasons other than reducing Nike’s Carbon footprint. Nike Grind cushioning, which is in the sports courts, helps reduce stress on players bodies which prevents injuries in the long term. These Courts also require virtually no maintenance and provide grippy surfaces for any weather. You may be wondering if these courts will stink of rubber because of what they are made of, these courts are virtually odorless even on the hottest summer days. Not only are these courts better for the environment, they are also cost effective for Nike. The courts don’t leave any mark on basketball or the basketball shoes that players wear. If you’re a hooper you know how big of a deal having no marks on your shoes is!

Your Turn

Nike is making a conscious effort to reduce their carbon footprint as much as they can. Nike also has a road to zero carbon emissions scientists are working on for organization as well. With donations to Reuse-A-Shoe we can help Nike make this dream a reality. So go into your storage room, grab those old sneakers, and donate them to Reuse-A-Shoe at your nearest Nike retail store!