TreadLightly is a new national recycling initiative helping Australians to recycle their pre-loved sports and active lifestyle shoes by giving them new life as anti-fatigue mats, gym mats and retail flooring around Australia. This is the first time that work boots have been introduced – as part of a six-month pilot program at selected retailers – to help reduce the amount of work boots going to landfill.
The TreadLightly initiative is powered by the Australian Sporting Goods Association (ASGA) and Australia’s premium recycler Save Our Soles (SOS).
In 2014, SOS worked closely with Totally Workwear to create Australia’s first work boot recycling program. TreadLightly is now helping to create an inclusive industry-wide model to allow a collaborative approach to recycling.
TreadLightly is working with Australia’s leading boot manufacturers and retailers to launch the program. Work boot recycling bins can be found in 60 leading safety supply retail stores including IWS Group, SWF Group, FXD Workwear and Hip Pocket.
“It’s great to see TreadLightly turn a brand solution into a whole of industry solution, because we know that when we create collaborative models, we amplify outcomes. I’m proud of the work boot industry for working together to find a responsible end-of-life solution to their used footwear,” said John Elliott, Director, Save Our Soles (SOS).
“TreadLightly is passionate about driving a truly circular economy and expanding the initiative to run a work boot pilot-program is another step in the right direction. Victorians can simply take their unwanted work boots into selected retailers to have them recycled instead of just throwing them in the bin and adding to Australia’s environmental waste,” said Shaun Bajada, Executive Director, ASGA.
The work boots will be mixed with sports and active lifestyle footwear, along with tyres and other waste to create a great blend for rubber mats and retail flooring. All material is collected, recycled and manufactured in Australia – providing a local solution to a global waste problem.
To find your nearest work boot collection bin or sports shoe recycling box visit here: www.treadlightly.asga.com.au