Sneaker Recycling Program
| Recycle Those Old Sneakers! |
Background:
Sneaker recycling was made an initiative of the Outreach Subcommittee at the onset of the Spring 2005 semester in order to establish a University-wide program to enhance Nike Reuse-A-Shoe efforts at UConn. The athletic department has participated in the program in past years, and will remain a partner in efforts to collect sneakers from all over campus. The sneakers collected will be recycled to help to make new running tracks, athletic surfaces, and community playgrounds. The program benefits the environment, as thousands of pairs of athletic shoe material is diverted from landfills.
Throughout the end of the Spring semester, the EcoHusky Program at the University of Connecticut works with the Department of Residential Life, UConn Division of Athletics, the Student Athletic Advisory Council, the EcoHusky Student Group and Willimantic Waste to collect unwanted sneakers from members of the campus and local community. Collection bins were palced in the athletic facilities (see below for specific locations).
At the conclusion of each spring semester, the sneakers are donated by Willimantic Waste to the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe Program to be converted to new surfaces such as running tracks and playgrounds. For more information on this program please contact the Office of Environmental Policy at (860) 486-5773
What kind of sneakers can be donated?
All brands of athletic shoes, as long as they don’t contain any metal (no flip-flops, sandals, pumps, dress shoes or boots).
Where are the drop-off locations?
Drop-off locations are located at the following locations:
- Student Recreation Facility (main lobby)
- UConn Co-Op
- Student Union
- 22 residence hall locations
- Alumni, Buckley, McMahon, Northwest, South, Towers, and Whitney Dining Halls
- Charter Oak & Hilltop Community Centers
- Mansfield Apartments laundry room
- Library
- Student Union
- Field House (in the lobby near the blue gym)
- Varsity locker rooms in the field house (in hallways between locker rooms)
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Sneaker Recycling 2008
March 19- May 5, 2008
UConn has done it again! For the fourth year in a row, the Sneaker
Recycling effort has been able to surpass its goal and raise the bar for
next year's collection. This year Leah Giffin, OEP Intern and Sneaker
Recycling Coordinator, set a goal for the University to collect 4,000
pounds of sneakers. The UConn community watched as the mountain grew
and
surpassed this goal, with a huge lift from the UConn Health Center in
Farmington, which enthusiastically participated for the first time this
year and added 1,500 pounds to the pile! The law school In Hartford
also helped to make this extraordinary two-ton Mt. Sneaker possible.
The mountain was displayed during the first annual Earth Day Spring Fling, outside Gampel Pavillion. EcoHusky and UConn athletes volunteered their time to help promote this event as well as hand out information to by standers. An educational display provided information on the “Life of a Shoe” and the sneaker recycling process. Sample grind material was also displayed. The display proved how everyday items can easily be recycled, diverting a large amount of waste from landfills, and then in turn reusing these materials in a beneficial way, such as athletic surfacing.
Sneaker Recycling 2007
March 19- May 5, 2007
This spring UConn worked hard to collect more sneakers than ever, creating the largest Mt. Sneaker in UConn’s history! The collection bins were placed in residential halls, academic buildings, dining halls, and the Athletic and Rec facilities.
These recycled sneakers are used for synthetic tracks, playground surfaces, tennis courts, and field turfs. In cooperation with Nike Reuse-a-shoe, the National Recycling Coalition, and our very own Willimantic Waste, we hope to make every year an even bigger success than the past. All the collections are used to build Mt. Sneaker, outside of Gampel Pavilion during our annual Earth Day celebration.
Who participated?
University of Connecticut, Storrs
University of Connnecticut, Avery Point
University of Connecticut, Hartford
Newtown High School, Sandy Hook, CT
Tuttle Elementary School, East Haven, CT
Sneaker Recycling 2006
On April 21, 2006, the UConn Sneaker Recycling Program celebrated its second annual Mt. Sneaker and Sneaker Recycling Expo!
Sneakers were collected throughout the spring prior to the date and were piled
high in a dumpster outside of Gampel Pavilion while volunteers educated
passers-by about the program and how to get involved.
University of Connecticut senior Emily Maugeri shows some of the sneakers that have been collected for a recycling project. (Leslloyd F. Alleyne Jr. / Journal Inquirer)
Sneaker Recycling 2005
The Mt. Sneaker and Sneaker Recycling Expo in 2005 were a huge success hanks to student athlete volunteers from the women's soccer team, the football team, track and field teams, women's basketball team, and women's rowing team. Individuals who donated a pair of sneakers during the event were thanked for their involvement with signatures from the athletes as well as free t-shirts and hats courtesy of the UConn Division of Athletics.
"Every year we want this program to get bigger and more successful. This year we've already collected more than twice the amount of sneakers as we did the first year, and we still have a few weeks left!"
~ Emily Maugeri, OEP Intern, Mount Sneaker coordinator for Spring 2006
Recycling & Reuse Workgroup Recycling Information
Outreach Homepage
