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Zeke Marchel
Miss Nye
English 11: Humanities Paper
29 May 2014
From the Shoes on Our Feet
We walk around in them every day: flip flops, tennis, heels, sandals, Vans, and
Keds. Shoes are with us through all of our life changing events and our potentially great
moments. So why don't we use them to their full potential? They can be used in more
ways than just protecting our feet and making them look good. Shoes can be reused
and recycled after they get all worn out, and some people have taken this opportunity to
make them into other useful equipment in their second life. Recycling brings out a
feeling of accomplishment in people as they use shoes to their fullest which in return
insures that our world will live another day because humanity still has the will to keep it
alive.
The shoe company, Nike, is taking this opportunity with shoes to innovate and
make a better world. They are doing this by building materials that agree with the earth
and will eventually break down. Since 1994, Nike has been standing behind the policy
of “Reuse-a-Shoe” where they collect old shoes, process them, and then construct new
equipment with the old product(NIke Grind). This could be anything from a turf field to a
floor for a weight room. They use the different parts of the shoe to create different
products. For example the outsole rubber can be used to construct a track, where the
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upper fabric is used for an indoor wood basketball court. Most of the work for Nike Grind
is based out of Memphis, Tennessee, but they have locations in areas around the world
like Belgium and Asia as well. They have recycled over two million shoes and have
produced numerous surfaces since they first started the project(Cox). Nike is just one of
the many groups that are involved in this field. There are many people that hold
recycling drives in their local towns like McClain Hermes, a 13-year-old from Georgia
who has collected over 10,000 pairs of shoes with her program(Evans). This shows that
there are people out there who are willing to recycle and work for the good of the whole
world, but in most cases it is just getting participation.
Recently I conducted a survey of SJHS students to get their opinion on recycling
and information pertaining to their shoes. Out of the 28 students 25 said they would
recycle their shoes instead of just throwing them away if it were an option, and 83% of
them already do recycle in some way(Marchel). People are willing to go and help our
planet live another day; it just takes some convenience and prodding to get them to.
Recycling does not just benefit the environment; it benefits people too. Whether it is
through sports surfaces or paper products, things we use every day can come from
recycled materials instead of wasting and have to buy new. In my survey, the majority of
people said that they wear two or more pairs of shoes in a year and that they just toss
them into the trash when they are done with them(Marchel). This clogs up landfills and
takes up valuable space for our rapidly expanding society. However, shoes are typically
used till they are worn out and can’t be used anymore due to holes or rips, but with the
number of shoes that go into landfills we should still be worrying about it.
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People think and worry about many things throughout the day and I am sure
recycling typically isn’t one of them and it shouldn’t be. It’s not supposed to be a burden.
When we recycle plastics and paper products, all it takes is throwing it into a bin. That’s
all. Dusty Kidd, a spokesperson for Nike Grind, says they would like to make it possible
to “have a system where shoes can be 100 percent recycled, where you never throw a
pair away” and “You'd always take them back like bottles or other common
recyclables”(Helping the Homeless). This would fulfill the convenience factor that most
people have and would not cost much at the same time. Even though this would cause
some expense, the result in the end of a more green world and selfless people would
pay off.
Recycling is a way for people to get involved in their world, and shoes is just one
pathway. Many other objects can be recycled and used to their full potential and by
getting involved it allows people to feel good about themselves and their community and
by working together much can be accomplished like football fields and basketball courts
which make people happy. When we bring joy to others, a feeling of warmth rushes
through our extremities, which is all generated from humanity’s graciousness and the
shoes on our feet.
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Works Cited
Cox, Kevin. "Wayward soles find redemption at the curbside: N.B. running shoe-recycling
scheme a first." Globe & Mail [Toronto, Canada] 8 Jan. 2002. Opposing
Viewpoints in
Context. Web. 2 May 2014.
Evans, Jane. "COMPANY NEWS: Saving Battered Soles; Sneakers Find an Afterlife As Nike
Starts Recycling." New York Times 25 July 1992. Opposing Viewpoints in Context.
Web.
2May 2014.
"Helping the homeless -- one 'step' at a time." CNN Wire 21 Jan. 2014. Opposing Viewpoints
in Context. Web. 2 May 2014.
Marchel, Zeke. Survey of SJHS Students. 9 May 2014.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QBDZKZF
"Nike Grind." Nike Grind. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. <http://www.nikegrind.com/>.
"North Hills students takes part in shoe recycling program." Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
[Pittsburgh, PA] 13 Dec. 2007. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 2 May 2014.