Spring Break
Running to recycle
Kate Slomkowski
Issue date: 4/1/05 Section: News
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According to the Office of Environmental Policy's web site, collection bins are set up in community areas in residence halls, cafeterias and athletic facilities.
The web site said the collected sneakers will be recycled to make "new running tracks, athletic surfaces and community playgrounds."
A press release stated the EcoHusky Student Group, the Department of Residential Life, the Division of Athletics, the Student Athletic Advisory Council and Willimantic Waste are working together to collect the used sneakers.
According to the press release, the goal is to collect 5,000 pairs of worn-out shoes by June 2005.
"This is all through Nike," said Kate Wadach, an 8th-semester environmental policy major and intern in the Office of Environmental Policy.
"As long as you meet the requirement 5,000 pairs, Nike will arrange to have all those sneakers picked up from a centralized drop-off location, shipped off and they do all the processing and building of the surfaces," Wadach said.
Wadach said the Division of Athletics traditionally ran the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program. She approached them with the idea of a campus-wide drive and got information from them how to expand the program.
Dennis Comprone, ResLife Building Renovation Projects director, picked out the sites for the drop-off bins six weeks ago.
"We set up locations in 26 residential areas, common rooms. We collect every other day from the common rooms and every day from the cafeteria bins," Comprone said. "We've picked up more pairs since students got back from Spring Break."
Comprone helped promote the event by handing out flyers students found in their mailboxes before break.
"Right now, our next task is to get the word out to the local community since we have started the initial outreach on campus," Wadach said.