Before you donate your old shoes be sure to tie them together in pairs as they can easily get separated and single shoes can’t be sold on.

Certain shops such as Runners Needs offer incentives for you to recycle your trainers when you purchase a new pair through them. Here, they offer a £20 discount for your old trainers. These are then sent to a dedicated recycling operator who specialises in recycling your footwear. Check with your favourite store to see if they do similar  and help others go green by suggesting they offer this service if they currently don’t. We are all in this together!

Your summer staple foot wear eventually reach their use-by date. When this happens, it may be handy to keep an old pair for when you have a pedicure or shower at the gym. Alternatively, these can often be recycled through dedicated collection bins that collect footwear.

Repair them!

Before you get rid of those unworn shoes perhaps you might take another look. Could they be painted, decorated or repaired?

Refashioning or repairing old shoes can be far cheaper than buying a new pair.

Donate them!

Pairs of shoes in good condition can be donated to charity shops:

• Charities like Oxfam, Save The Children, Barnado’s, Age Concern and Cancer Research have chains of high street shops.
• The Variety Club also has 3000 shoe recycling sites throughout the UK, mostly found in supermarket car parks and in some specialist shoe shops, such as Up & Running. If you are looking for shoe recycling near you then there collection bins may be just around the corner from you!
• Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe programme accepts used athletic shoes in any state. They are converted into surfaces for basketball courts, tennis courts and running tracks.

Re-use your shoes

Save an old pair of shoes for painting and decorating. Have an old pair of trainers and are a keen gardener? Find other creative ways to avoid waste and reuse!