Nike launched their ReUSE A SHOE initiative back in 1990. The basic idea is that Nike encourage customers to recycle their Nike or other athletic footwear at partnered Nike ReUSE A SHOE outlets. The shoes are broken down at the Nike factories and then chopped into lots of tiny pieces making up ‘Nike Grind’. The material is then melted down and ‘put back’ by re-creating sports pitches into communities such as tennis courts, basketball courts, football pitches, running tracks and putting greens.

Nike ReUSE A SHOE has spread across the world with outlets and new sports surfaces being created all the time. The Nike ReUSE A SHOE website uses Google Maps to show where the outlets and surfaces are allowing users to see the global impact of such a basic idea. As the idea has already been imported and exported between countries, is there scope for further simple ideas like Nike ReUSE A SHOE by recycling an everyday item to re-create what its original purpose is for? Recycling paper doesn’t seem to be so ‘fancy’ anymore and if big brands like Nike can recycle their products it’s a win win situation, customers feel good about recycling and buy back into the brand.

How about UniQlo recycling their jeans created in Japan to be recycled and re-sold only in their London stores. Then London’s jeans being recycled to only be sold in UniQlo’s New York stores?

http://www.nikereuseashoe.com/