Vernon Hills has a use for those smelly old shoes
An international program that turns old, stinky sneakers into gym floors, running tracks and playground surfaces is expanding in Vernon Hills.
The village's public works department this week became a year-round collection point for the Reuse-A-Shoe recycling program, which launched in 1993 and is headed by Nike and the National Recycling Coalition.
Most previous local collection efforts have been part-time projects or limited in scope. But Vernon Hills officials and say it's worthy of greater attention.
"People in our community take a very strong view of recycling, and in my mind it's very positive," Village Administrator Michael Allison said.
The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County and Waste Management Recycle America lead the local effort. According to Nike, other suburban collection points are:
• The SWALCO office, 1311 N. Estes St., Gurnee;
• Sportmart stores in Vernon Hills, Mount Prospect and Schaumburg;
• Sports Authority stores in Arlington Heights and Bloomingdale.
• The School and Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Education headquarters, 799 Roosevelt Road, in Glen Ellyn.
People can drop off used athletic shoes at the Vernon Hills public works headquarters, 490 Greenleaf Drive, on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Don't leave shoes outside the building when the facility is closed.
The site, near Route 60 and Butterfield Road, is a convenient drop-off point, Allison said.
Any brand of sneaker or athletic shoe can be dropped off as long as the footwear is clean, dry and doesn't have spikes or cleats.
Zippers and metal eyelets should be removed beforehand, but shoes with blinking lights can be taken.
Sandals, flip-flops, dress shoes and boots aren't accepted because they contain materials that can't be recycled.
For more information, visit www.nike.com/nikebiz.
By the numbers
• 20 million: Pairs of shoes recycled since the program began
• 7: Participating nations
• 2: Processing facilities for the program (one in Oregon, one in Belgium)
• 250: The number of athletic surfaces that have benefited from the effort.
Source: www.nike.com