When & Where
Starting Friday, September 9 old sneakers can be dropped off in the Equipment Room (114) at the Cheaspeake Employer's Insurance Areana ( formerly the UMBC Events Center).
Acceptable shoes include:
Athletic sneakers
Cleats (rubber bottoms ONLY)
Basketball shoes
Sneakers of any variety
Why is this a thing?
Most people throw away their used sneakers every 125-200 days without ever thinking about recycling. Since sneakers are manufactured with materials that are not biodegradable, they remain in landfills or are incinerated, which leads to toxic chemicals in our air and soil.
The process of manufacturing sneakers produces large amounts of CO2 which contributes to the serious effects of climate change and global warming. Recycling and reusing sneakers keeps sneakers out of landfills, reduces the need for manufacturing new shoes and sneakers, and supports a growing circular economy.
What happens to them?
All reusable sneakers are recirculated to secondhand markets so people can access quality, pre-owned footwear at affordable prices. All heavily used and damaged footwear is disassembled and recycled to maximize material reuse.
