Sportswear giant Nike has recently launched a refurbishing programme that aims to either restore, donate or recycle unwanted sneakers. The move supports Nike’s sustainability motto ‘Move to Zero’ which aims at ‘zero carbon and zero waste to help protect the future of sport.’
As a part of the programme, the sportswear brand will refurbish athletic shoes divided into three categories, i.e. almost new, gently worn, cosmetically flawed. These shoes can be returned by the customer with a 60-day return window and will be returned to store aisles once refurbished. Customers buying a pair will be able to check a shoe’s history through a QR code.
Shoes that don’t fall into either of the categories would be either donated to local community organisations or recycled in the Nike Grind machine to be used for the production of other gymwear or merchandise. While the brand will accept any brand of sneakers for recycling, dress shoes, sandals, boots or metal embellished boots fall out of the category.
The Reuse-A-Shoe programme, as it has been named, is available only at 15 US stores and will expand to other US-based store locations as well through the course of the year. With various stores shut due to pandemic-related restrictions, availability of the programme at many locations can prove to be a challenge.
With the launch of this programme, Nike successfully avails unwanted shoes to be given a new life instead of being disposed of or turned to waste.
Image Source: nike.com