Original Post by: Elizabeth Guerrero from the: Room 201 Blog
For this week’s TerraCycle Tuesday, we’re introducing a brand-spanking new brigade: the Paired Shoe Brigade!
Personally, I’m very excited about the launch of this new brigade because it has come right at the time of year when my family sorts through our ever-growing pile of shoes and sees what we can either donate or throw out. I’m glad that we now have the TerraCycle option as well!
What can be TerraCycled in this category?
Answer: pairs of women’s, men’s, and children’s shoes, which may include athletic sneakers, cleats, flats, high heels, dress shoes, boots, and fashion or casual sneakers.
Answer: pairs of women’s, men’s, and children’s shoes, which may include athletic sneakers, cleats, flats, high heels, dress shoes, boots, and fashion or casual sneakers.
What CANNOT be TerraCycled in this category?
Answer: ski boots, roller skates, roller blades, ice skates, completely broken or ruined footwear, single shoes, rubber flip flops, or slippersYou must send in PAIRS of shoes. TerraCycle is unable to accept single shoes. Also, we will not accept any shoe that has even a single hole that you can put a pen through.
Answer: ski boots, roller skates, roller blades, ice skates, completely broken or ruined footwear, single shoes, rubber flip flops, or slippersYou must send in PAIRS of shoes. TerraCycle is unable to accept single shoes. Also, we will not accept any shoe that has even a single hole that you can put a pen through.
What does this waste get used for?
Our shoes are upcycled into products that can themselves be recycled into more useful items!
Our shoes are upcycled into products that can themselves be recycled into more useful items!
The new Shoe Brigade is exciting news! A couple of questions arise though. One is if you are going to upcycle the shoes into other products and they are not to be used as shoes again in that form why does it matter if they are paired or if they have a hole in them. After all of TerraCycle is going to mulch the things and shred them apart before melting them down, it seems like previous holes and matching colors wouldn’t matter so much. Also why the anti-Flip Flopness? I k ow about a month or so ago I logged in and saw I was in the Flip-Flop Brigade. I didn’t sign up, but I did inquire as to if we could have an Old Navy Flip Flop Brigade year round and not just for a few months. As a matter of fact sign me up for every Brigade as I can find a use for all, it just may take me a day or two to war game it. Then a week later it was gone, and seemingly in it’s place was the Paired Shoe Brigade, but this time I did have to sign up. Let us know. We are all itching to teach the Apathetic Americans how to Outsmart Waste!
Hi Andrew! Thanks for your questions. 90% of shoes collected in the Paired Shoe Brigade will actually be donated to those in need of shoes. The other 10% will be recycled. The 90% rate is determined by how many shoes we do receive that are unusable. If a shoe is not in good enough condition to be donated, then it will be recycled.
We are working on launching the Flip Flop Brigade as soon as we can, but the date is to be determined.
Thanks!
TerraCycle