 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Since 1999, SWANCC has coordinated an annual collection for old athletic court-type shoes in cooperation with Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program. Once SWANCC collects the athletic shoes from school, community and business partners, they are transported to Nike’s facility and become Nike Grind – a material that goes into making running tracks and other athletic court surfaces.
The Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) held its tenth annual athletic shoe recycling event on May 19 and 20, 2009. Approximately 10,000 pairs of old court shoes were collected for recycling by SWANCC’s collection partners, a combination of member-community schools, businesses, park districts, churches and municipalities.
Additionally, over 1,000 pairs of gently-used athletic shoes or shoes that did not qualify for Nike’s program were collected for Soles for Souls, a not-for-profit organization that will distribute them to poor people on a global basis.
In conjunction with Nike's "Reuse-A-Shoe" program, there are other locations that will take a limited number of shoes.Click here for other shoe collection options in the Chicagoland area, or to mail shoes straight to Nike.
Visit www.nikereuseashoe.com for more information about Nike’s program.
For the 2009/2010 school year:
Any SWANCC-area school, community organization or business wanting to be a collection partner for 2010 must register with Mary Allen at mary@swancc.org or
(847) 724-9205, extension 204. An "Agreement" (to be signed and returned), collection details, clear plastic bags and promotional materials will be mailed to the site coordinator.
SWANCC staff will unload shoes for recycling or donation from vehicles. The recycled shoes will become new sports courts and surfaces that will be enjoyed by children of all ages for many years to come.
Through a random drawing, recycled plastic "hand" chairs will be awarded. All registered schools are eligible to win.
NO shoes including metal eyelets, zippers, batteries, cleats or spikes are accepted. NO flip flops, pool shoes, sandals, dress shoes, boots or slip-ons are accepted for Nike's program. Do NOT tie shoe laces together or pair shoes with rubber bands. Collection partners are responsible for going through shoes.
Over 72,000 pairs of shoes have been collected since 2000. Additionally, thousands of gently used shoes were donated to charity each year.
Above pictures from top to bottom:
1. Attea Middle School, Glenview
2. Chute Middle School, Evanston
3. Scout Group from St. Emily's School, Mount Prospect
4. Mike, Owner of Pappi’s Pizza in Glenview, brought by a pizza for volunteers in the shape of a shoe!