I was throwing out my old work boots for a decade before a guy at the dump set me straight

I'd always just tossed my worn-out boots in the trash, figuring they were done. Then a guy at the transfer station in Tacoma asked if I'd ever heard of a shoe recycling program, and it hit me that I was sending all that material straight to a landfill for no reason. Anyone know a good mail-in program for busted work gear?

3 comments

3 Comments

jake18917d ago

My old man used to just bury his worn-out boots in the backyard. He said the leather would break down and help the soil, but I'm pretty sure there's a pair of Red Wings still intact under his rose bushes. Not the best system.

jessicac2810d ago

Yeah, leather takes forever to break down on its own. It's treated to last, so tossing it in a hole just makes a weird time capsule. Your dad's roses probably hit a brick wall of boot. Proper recycling or finding a specialty program is the only way to handle that stuff without it sitting there for decades.

laura_black3117d ago

Totally get that feeling of realizing you've been doing something wrong for years. It's like a light bulb goes off when someone points out a better way. I felt the same when I learned about recycling old shoes. Makes you wonder what else we're all just tossing out without a second thought, right? I've used a mail-in program from a company that grinds them up for playground surfaces. The box was free and it felt way better than adding to a landfill.