Helping the sporting and active lifestyle community to tread lightly.
TreadLightly is a national recycling initiative that takes unwanted sport and active lifestyle footwear and responsibly recycles it here in Australia to give it new life.
110 million shoes make their way to Australian shores each year, yet only 1% are collected and recycled after use.
We need to change that.
The sporting and active lifestyle industry represents approximately one quarter of the total shoes imported into Australia each year.
As the national representative of the sporting and active lifestyle industry, ASGA has teamed up with leading Australian recycling partner Save Our Soles (SOS) and on an industry-first recycling initiative.
Did you know shoe components can take up to 1000 years to decompose?
Who we are
TreadLightly unites the Australian sporting and active lifestyle community across codes, brands, retailers, manufacturers, athletes, and consumers to reduce its environmental footprint.
By giving consumers, retailers and manufacturers the means to take real action, we’re providing a local solution to the global waste problem and making it easier than ever before for us all to tread lightly.
HOW IT WORKS
Bringing together consumers, athletes, sport enthusiasts and active lifestyle lovers to reduce our collective footprint.
Do you have any old footwear that you no longer want?
Simply place your unwanted footwear in one of our collection units located at more than 900+ sports, activewear and footwear retailers across Australia and we’ll do the rest by giving them a new, meaningful life.
HELP US TO RECYCLE ONE MILLION PAIRS OF SPORTS AND ACTIVE LIFESTYLE SHOES
How it works
Our History
TreadLightly is a new national recycling initiative, but did you know it has a rich history of working to reduce industry waste since 2008?
Industry first
Our recycler, Save Our Soles collaborates with Nike to recycle shoes. This is the start of shoe recycling in Australia for the Sports Industry.
Victorian pilot program
Save our Soles partners with the Australian Sporting Goods Industry to create a whole of industry solution for recycling shoes, kicking off a 12-month pilot program in Victoria (collecting over 100,000 shoes!).
Government grant from NPSIF
In August 2021, after a successful pilot program, we received a grant through the National Product Stewardship Investment Fund (NPSIF). Setting an ambitious target to recycle one million shoes by 2023.
TreadLightly is born
In October 2021, the ASGA SOS Shoe Recycling Program rolls out a national program and rebrands to TreadLightly.
600 stores
In March 2022, TreadLightly reaches 600 collection points across 24 brands (and still growing!).
Hitting record numbers
In May 2022, TreadLightly reached a new record of collecting over 22,000 KGs of shoes. This is more than double our standard collection rates.
Products and Uses
TreadLightly is passionate about driving a truly circular economy – turning old shoes into useful products used right on the shop floor!
TreadLightly collects the shoes from store, and sends them to Australia’s premium recycler Save Our Soles who turns them into recycled crumb that is used as change room flooring, anti-fatigue mats as well as for playground and gyms around Australia.
TreadLightly continues to work closely with its brand partners and supply partners to look for new ways to innovate to find sustainable solutions for its recycled crumb, from shock pads to playgrounds and underlay for sporting surfaces.
If you’re interested in ordering recycled crumb or rubber mats, please reach out to Save Our Soles for more information.
Our Recycling Partners
Stepping up and making it easier for brands to elevate their impact, sustainability and purpose.
TreadLightly is proud to partner with these leading brands to help create a better future.
Partner with us
Consumers are increasingly choosing brands that advocate greater sustainability, responsibility and transparency.
If you want to be part of a credible, recognisable and government-backed solution to the sporting and active lifestyle industry’s waste problem, contact us to find out more. It’s time to tread lightly!
Contact us at
treadlightly@asga.com.au
Governance
Treadlightly is operated by The Australian Sporting Goods Association, a not-for-profit membership organisation governed by a board of directors with an independent chair. All surplus funds are to be used for the association’s objectives and cannot be distributed to its members.
The ASGA Board is made up of a minimum of nine Directors, and each whom serve a two-year term. Three directors representing retail members, elected for a two-year term at the Annual AGM on a staggered basis.
- Three directors representing retail members, elected for a two-year term at the Annual AGM on a staggered basis.
- Three directors representing wholesale members, elected for a two-year term at the Annual AGM on a staggered basis.
- A number of Independent members appointed by the ASGA Board.
- The ASGA Executive Director
- The President of the ASGA Board is appointed by the Board from the membership of the Board
Representing brands, manufacturers, distributors and retailers, ASGA is the sector’s leading voice. Since forming in 1981, we remain focused on our mission to nurturing our dynamic industry and the membership base that we proudly represent & actively advocate.
Recycling Partners
Treadlightly is an industry-led initiative powered by the following partnerships.
