SINGAPORE: At a warehouse in Tuas, an enormous pile of donated shoes sits untouched, gathering dust. These shoes—ranging from sneakers to sandals—were collected as part of a recycling programme intended to repurpose them into useful materials for projects like jogging tracks and playgrounds. But, despite the collection of over 400,000 pairs, the initiative is grappling with a significant issue — finding places that can use them.
A recycling programme with big ambitions
According to a recent article from Channel News Asia, the shoe recycling initiative that was launched nearly four years ago, is a collaboration between Sport Singapore (SportSG) and materials science company Dow. The programme’s goal was ambitious—recycling 170,000 pairs of sports shoes every year. As of now, more than 400,000 pairs have been collected, but only 70,000 have been successfully repurposed for 18 projects, such as a jogging track on top of a condominium. This highlights a critical gap between collection and repurposing, leaving many shoes sitting in a warehouse without a clear destination.
The challenge of repurposing
The initiative’s partners are struggling to find enough projects to utilise recycled shoes. According to Mr Paul Fong, country director of Dow Singapore and Malaysia, the primary aim is to reduce the environmental impact by recycling the shoes rather than sending them to landfills or incinerators. “We want to reduce the impact on Semakau Island by utilising the shoes instead of discarding them,” he explained. Despite the effort, they are finding it difficult to match the volume of collected shoes with projects in need.
An expensive but sustainable solution
One of the key challenges in the programme is the cost. B T Sports director Hayden Hoon acknowledged that while recycling shoes is pricier than using traditional materials, it’s necessary for sustainability. The process of repurposing shoes for projects like playgrounds and running tracks is more complex than using car tyres, which have long been the preferred material due to their durability and uniformity. According to Associate Professor Duong Hai Minh from the National University of Singapore, “Tyres are made of a single solid material, but shoes are composed of various materials, making it difficult to control quality.”
The difficulty in maintaining consistent quality makes shoe recycling a more expensive and complicated process, but Hoon emphasised that the cost of sustainability is an inevitable challenge for any initiative aiming to reduce environmental impact.
Balancing supply and demand
Experts believe that for future initiatives to succeed, there must be a better balance between supply and demand. Professor Lawrence Loh of the NUS Business School pointed out that proper management is crucial, including forecasting the number of shoes collected and ensuring they can be used in feasible projects. “Don’t over-collect, and even if you do, ensure that the shoes will be applied to the intended purposes,” he advised.
The shoe recycling programme has the potential to make a significant environmental impact, but it must overcome logistical and economic hurdles to truly reach its potential. As more parties come forward to partner with the initiative, the hope is that the piles of shoes will eventually find their place in projects that benefit the community—and the planet.