Can you recycle shoes & trainers?

Tie pairs together by their laces before donating — single shoes are useless to sorters. Wearable pairs go to charity shops and shoe banks (often in supermarket car parks). Badly worn shoes can still go in most textile banks for material recovery.

Tips

• Tie pairs together
• Specialist schemes take trainers for sports-surface recycling

Which bin does it go in?

Donate wearable pairs; textile banks take worn-out ones. Not in kerbside recycling.

Before throwing it away, see reuse, repair and donation routes.

Background: Reuse, repair or donate before recycling.

Also searched as: trainers, boots, footwear, sneakers.