Instead of throwing away old worn-out sneakers, people can bring them to WACS college for recycling.
WESTFIELD — According to four independent sources, 300 million pairs of shoes end up in landfills in the United States each year, where they take between 30 and 40 years to decompose.
Middle school students at Westfield Academy and Central School are taking action to fix it while raising money for student government.
“Got Sneakers is a sneaker recycling organization”, said Lauren Nelson, who along with faculty member Steve Holmberg is leading the fundraiser. “The idea is that our club, Middle School Student Government, collects sneakers in all conditions. We send the shoes to the organization and for each pair we send, Got Sneakers gives us a sum of money.
The amount the school receives for each pair of sneakers depends on the condition of the sneakers, Nelson said.
“Got Sneakers reuses and recycles the sports shoes we send out. Some shoes are in very good condition, so they can be reused as sneakers”, she says. “Others are recycled into materials for reuse, such as playground mulch.”
Nelson went on to say that Got Sneakers will send a check to the school at the end of the fundraiser.
“This will go directly to middle school student government activities, such as our Halloween dance or academic role incentives,” she says.
According to gotsneakers.com, most people throw away their used sneakers every 125 to 200 days without ever thinking about recycling. Since the sneakers are made with non-biodegradable materials, they remain in landfills or are incinerated, which leads to toxic chemicals in our air and soil.
Additionally, the organization points out that the manufacturing process of the sneakers produces large amounts of CO2 which contributes to climate change and global warming. Recycling and reusing sneakers keeps sneakers out of landfills, reduces the need to make new shoes and sneakers, and supports a growing circular economy.
The circular economy that Got Sneakers refers to begins with manufacturing, followed by shipping, after which consumers buy and use the sneakers, and finally recycle and reuse the sneakers.
Nelson said she and Holmberg heard about this fundraiser being used in the community.
“We thought it was a great idea” she says. “We thought this fundraiser was a great way to help our environment: reduce, reuse, recycle! This is a fun, easy, and resourceful fundraiser that students, families, and the community can participate in to help our club, while making a difference in our environment.
Fundraising also helps students in several ways, Nelson said.
“We really love this fundraiser because it helps teach students about community service, help our environment by reusing and recycling old sneakers, and working hard towards our goals,” she says.
People who wish to donate sneakers can drop them off in a box, which is located in the school’s main hall. There will also be a drive-thru on October 15 from 10 a.m. to noon outside the school cafeteria.