The initiative between Reconomy Connect and ReNewShoe aims to simplify the process for recycling worn-out shoes. In turn it hopes to extend the lifecycle of valuable materials and curtail the volume of waste sent to landfills and incinerators.
The collaboration will establish specific drop-off locations at Reconomy Connect facilities where consumers can deposit their old footwear for recycling.
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ReNewShoe will process these discarded shoes and extract materials such as rubber, foam, fluff and leather.
The recycling procedure commences upon the accumulation of materials. Through a mechanical method, the collected items are ground down, resulting in completely recycled substances.
The outcome includes granulated rubber and foam, mixed fibres comprising PET and nylon, remnants of leather, assorted metals, and textile fuzz.
These processed resources are then repurposed into new products, including picnic tables, sports facility flooring, and even circular-designed shoes.
ReNewShoe’s technology has previously been employed by its partner brand Fast Feet Grinded, a European footwear recycler, in the creation of the ASICS Neocurve sneaker made from recycled materials.
ReNewShoe managing director Gareth Denton Smith said: “I started my business because I could not understand why there was not a method for sustainably recycling footwear. I was determined to address this and create a business that uses best-in-class technologies to maximise material reuse, reduce waste and promote the circular economy.
“I am delighted to now be partnering with Reconomy Connect, whose extensive waste collection infrastructure and technology capabilities will help take our efforts to drive responsible shoe recycling to the next level.”
The partnership emerges against the backdrop of an industry that manufactures approximately 24.3bn pairs of shoes annually.
Reconomy highlights the difficulty in recycling footwear, with an estimated 95% of it, which is equivalent to 300m tonnes, reportedly ending up in landfills or being incinerated each year.
Footwear typically consists of over 60 diverse elements, including textiles, polymers, rubber, and bonding agents, as cited by Fashion for Good. These components are meticulously put together to fulfil criteria related to functionality, design, and budget.
Nonetheless, such intricacy acts as a barrier to the integration of circular methodologies, resulting in the footwear industry trailing in the implementation of sustainable innovations relative to other segments within the fashion industry.
Reconomy Connect circular solutions head Dave Seal-Yates said: “We are thrilled to be playing a key role in addressing the significant challenge of hard-to-recycle footwear, an often-overlooked issue. Partnering with ReNewShoe will help us in our mission to support businesses unlock cost savings and commercial opportunities by keeping resources in circulation, reducing the need for virgin material production and preventing waste from ending up in landfill.”
Last month, Fashion for Good launched “Closing the Footwear Loop,” an initiative that unites 15 fashion and footwear brands and their existing circularity programmes to tackle the footwear industry’s circularity challenge.
