Those tennis shoes you’re thinking about tossing can join the 300+ million pairs of athletic shoes Americans send to landfills every year, or you can recycle them with GotSneakers where they can take on a new life with someone in need.
Wondering what GotSneakers does with your old tennis shoes? They are shipped off to a developing country to make a positive difference in the lives of impoverished individuals who desperately need shoes. Keep reading to learn how it works!
Meet the Micro-Enterprise
Micro-enterprises are small businesses that require minimal capital to start and run.
In developing countries, the ability to open a micro-enterprise can help citizens escape poverty.
When companies like GotSneakers provide goods to these micro-enterprise owners to resell, the owners generate income for their family and employees, and the community benefits from low-cost goods they desperately need (such as sneakers).
When you send your old tennis shoes to GotSneakers, they are cleaned up and shipped to micro-enterprises in developing countries where they take on a new life. With a consistent stream of inventory from organizations, such as GotSneakers, micro-enterprises can find long-term success.
Combating Poverty
Micro-enterprises that receive your old tennis shoes do more than just provide income for owners and employees.They also make low-cost footwear available in areas where serious infections from foot injuries and diseases are easily contracted from walking barefoot on contaminated soil.
Additionally, kids previously barred from attending schools where shoes are required can now obtain footwear so they can get a formal education and achieve a better quality of life.
It’s a positive cycle made possible by people like you who decide their tennis shoes should do more than sit in a landfill.
How to Recycle Old Tennis Shoes
To put your shoes in the hands of micro-entrepreneurs, check out GotSneakers.
Partner with GotSneakers to start a shoe drive in your community to make it easy for others to recycle their athletic shoes for a good cause.
When you have the choice between throwing your gently used tennis shoes in the trash or recycling them with an organization working to make people’s lives better, it’s a no-brainer. Gather up your unwanted athletic shoes, and send them off where they can make a big difference!