Agency collecting shoes for recycling program

The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County is sponsoring the "Reuse-A-Shoe" program for Lake County. Schools, community groups, Scout troops, corporate offices and others from around the county are collecting athletic footwear of all brands for this recycling program.

Every year, across the globe, millions of pairs of athletic shoes end up in landfills or disposed of in some other way; shoes that may contain valuable materials that, with a little bit of imagination and ingenuity, could be reused.

This will be the fourth year that Lake County has participated in the program developed by Nike.

"The excitement level is extremely high this year," said Merleanne Rampale, Public Information Officer for SWALCO. "It is such a fun and innovative program and people just can't seem to wait to be part of it."

Waste Management Recycle America partners with SWALCO on the program. Just after Earth Day, the shoes that have been collected will be delivered to the Waste Management Recycle America recycling facility, loaded on a truck, and shipped off to Nike to be processed into a material called "Nike Grind," used to create sports surfaces including running tracks, soccer fields and playgrounds. These shoes will be kept out of landfills and participants' efforts will assist in keeping Lake County and the planet a little "greener."

Groups are encouraged to donate shoes that are only gently-worn. Information on places to donate can be found at www.swalco.org.

Last year, more than 20,000 shoes were collected for recycling and many gently-worn shoes were donated to charities.

In addition to the many groups that are participating this year, several groups have offered to act as public drop-off locations for the county, including: Ela Area Public Library, Grayslake Area Public Library, Park District of Highland Park, Lake County Farm Bureau, Mundelein Park & Recreation District, State Rep. Kathy Ryg, Vernon Area Public Library, Vernon Hills Park District, Vernon Hills Public Works and Warren-Newport Public Library.

Individuals who wish to recycle their old athletic shoes can visit the SWALCO Web site, www.swalco.org, for details and dates to drop off at these locations.

For more information on the Reuse-A-Shoe program, or to find out how a group can be involved, contact Merleanne Rampale, at (847) 336-9340 ext. 4 or visit the SWALCO Web site.