Part of FastFeetGrinded's recycling process involves breaking down various parts of a shoe into small particles that will get a second life in other products.For runners, footwear is one of the most important – and often most expensive – pieces of gear. Experts say the typical lifespan of a traditional running sneaker falls between 500 to 700 kilometers , or about four to six months, depending on usage. With some shoes costing hundreds of dollars, it can certainly add up.
Widely used materials, such as polyester and ethylene vinyl acetate , can take a long time to break down. According to a 2022 report by MIT, some shoes can take hundreds of years to decompose. The foam, rubber and textile granules are then sold to manufacturers to be made back into items such as shoe parts, yoga mats, or flooring for playgrounds and outdoor sports centers.
“ is one piece of the solution that will allow us to reduce the volumes that are circulating,” Fuentes-Mendel says of FastFeedGrinded, but she believes the industry needs advancements in technology and automation for footwear recycling to scale up.A shoe made of fully recycled FastFeetGrinded material has yet to hit the market, but brands are making strides to reuse materials. Nike’s “Reuse-A-Shoe” program grinds old shoes into new materials for repurposing.
Textile-to-textile recycling can be a challenge, she adds, due to the high-performance standards of the company’s sneakers. But Fuentes-Mendel believes the problem requires an approach that goes beyond manufacturers. “I wouldn’t say, ‘the brand needs to fix this,’ because it’s not only their responsibility; governments, private entities, silicon suppliers, the FastFeetGrindeds of the world and innovators need to collaborate,” she said.
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