Australians are urged to take a small step to improve the environment by recycling the estimated 100 million pairs of unused shoes across the country.
A survey by the national recycling initiative TreadLightly found that the average Australian owns around five pairs of shoes that they don’t wear.
Almost a quarter (24 percent) of the more than 1000 respondents keep the shoes for a “rainy day or for sentimental reasons”, while more than half (51 percent) throw them in the trash.
Women are more likely to keep shoes they don’t wear and keep an average of seven pairs of shoes compared to men who keep three.
Shoe components can take over 1,000 years to degrade in landfills, but they can be recycled into mats and flooring for use in retail stores, gyms, and playgrounds.
TreadLightly, operated by the Australian Sporting Goods Association with federal government support, is calling on Australians to meet their goal of recycling more than a million pairs of shoes by 2023.
Rather than throwing unused shoes in the trash can, the group wants people to drop them off at participating retailers for responsible recycling.
“All you have to do is look around your home for any unwanted athletic or active lifestyle footwear – from trainers and trainers to golf shoes – and take them to one of our 400+ participating retailers for the.” Open up your state to recycle. ” Shaun Bajada of the Australian Sporting Goods Association said in a statement.