When you donate your gently used shoes,

the kitties at Felines First benefit thanks to ShoeBox Recycling!

Remember to use our name for donations!

Contact us to arrange a drop off, or stop by these locations:

ShoeBox Recycling collects gently used shoes for reuse. These shoes are ‘worn, but definitely not worn out.’ We work hard to give your shoes a new life, so let our passion for recycling shoes go to work for you.

Recycling shoes helps do the following:

• Provide affordable shoes to those in need
• Creates micro-enterprises for individuals throughout the world, thus fueling local economies here and abroad
• Keeps them out of the landfills, creating a cleaner, greener planet
• Humanizes the process of shoe recycling with real connections of differing cultures – Recycle your shoes, find your SoleMate™

Why is ShoeBox Recycling a for-profit company?

ShoeBox Recycling is proud to be a for profit recycler of shoes that believes doing good and doing well go hand in hand. Recycling your shoes is no different than recycling material curbside. We hope to change the mindset and keep shoe recycling as top of mind as glass and aluminum recycling.

We believe in a triple bottom line philosophy: People, Planet and Profit.

• We treat people with respect and dignity at all times. (this is true for our employees AND partners, vendors, and anyone else we interact with)
• The core of what we do - keeping shoes out of landfills – directly helps the planet and educates people of all ages who engage in our program in the global need for shoe recycling
• We work hard to ensure we run a profitable business so that we can provide an incentive for the actions we ask people to take. We offer $.50 cents per pound to our partners for the collection of shoes.
• Developing long-term relationships with our partners domestically and abroad is critically important to us. We want to be sure your shoes find a good home too!

Some Shoe Recycling FAQ’s:

• According to The Environmental Protection Agency, only about 15% of post-consumer textiles (such as shoes, clothes, bags and belts…) enter the recycling stream, while 21 billion pounds – about 70 pounds for each person on Earth – ends up in landfills each year.
• When you recycle your shoes for reuse, you conserve raw materials and natural resources. That means less has to be extracted, refined, transported and processed which lightens the load on the environment. You also conserve the energy that’s needed in the manufacturing process. Less energy used means less needs to be generated, resulting in smaller carbon footprints and less greenhouse gases and emissions.
• There’s another side to recycling shoes that’s equally as good. And that’s helping to provide the millions of poor people in third world countries and undeveloped territories with usable shoes they may not otherwise be able to afford.
• Despite the growing green / environmental movement, most people in the US are unaware that textiles such as shoes can be reused, resold and recycled, creating local economies and jobs both here and abroad
• Used shoes are a greatly needed global commodity resold in thrift stores and market places around the world. It is amazing how many people in the United States and abroad depend upon used textiles for their livelihoods and to support their families. Textile Recycling is an industry that is creating unprecedented employment and local opportunities for entrepreneurs in the all over the globe.
• Did you know that over 300 million pairs of shoes are thrown in the trash each year?
• Old shoes that are discarded can spend more than 200 years in a landfill before decomposing, and shoes are in great demand in third world countries.
• At ShoeBox Recycling, we believe that there’s never been a better time for brands, retailers, consumers, municipalities, charitable organizations, academics and recyclers to join forces and promote the recycling of shoes.
• Recycle your shoes, find your SoleMate™....and support the kitties at Felines First Rescue! =^..^=