Zappos and Native Shoes partner for shoe recycling program

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Oct 25, 2018

Native Shoes has partnered with apparel and footwear retailer Zappos' charity arm, Zappos for Good, to recycle used shoes into playground matting.

To participate in the initiative, titled The Remix Project, participants with used Native footwear can request a free shipping label from the Zappos for Good website. Used shoes must then be boxed and dropped off at any UPS store in the continental United States, at which point the shoes are sent to be processed. The footwear company said all styles are welcome, but must be Native Shoes. 

In a press release, Native Shoes said their recycling initiative aims to repurpose all of the company's shoes by 2023. ​The project's immediate goal is to receive 10,000 recycled shoes by December 31, 2018 and build its first playground in 2019.

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"As an advocate for environmental sustainability, joining forces with Native Shoes is an amazing opportunity to help communities do more with less by encouraging an environmental best practice in the retail industry that simultaneously creates a fun space for kids," said Steven Bautista, head of Zappos for Good at Zappos. 

As environmental concern reaches a fever pitch in the political sphere, companies like Everlane and Guess have also joined a wave of retail recycling programs. Targeting a young, fashion-conscious audience, these new initiatives have the potential to make sustainability appealing to a crowd that companies like Patagonia and Rei, which have a history of supporting sustainability programs but cater to a more niche outdoor adventurer demographic, might miss. 

Native customers who are interested in contributing to the initiative can visit the online Zappos for Good platform. Further updates on The Remix Project will appear on Native Shoes' website.