Spring Break
UConn gets a 'kick' out of environmental activism
Michelle Firestone
Issue date: 3/24/09 Section: News
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The collection kicked off on March 1 as part of Nike's Reuse-a-Shoe program, a program in which the company collects shoes so that their rubber soles may be turned into running tracks, athletic surfaces and playgrounds. According to the company's Web site, in 19 years, Nike has collected 22,736,188 pairs of shoes globally.
UConn was inspired to start a sneaker collection after hearing about Nike's program, seeing it as a way to reduce the university's carbon footprint.
"UConn students are generally athletic-minded and environmentally-responsible," said Richard Miller, the director of the Office of Environmental Policy, in an e-mail interview. "We knew there were a lot of sneakers being thrown away by students, faculty and staff, and by recycling and reusing the components in different products, it would be a more sustainable practice than using raw materials to make these same products."
The program is a partnership involving UConn Athletics, EcoHusky, the OEP, Nike and the Willimantic Waste Co., which brings the shoes to Nike.
There has been a dramatic increase in the number of shoes collected over the years. According to Alysse Lembo, an intern at the OEP and 8th-semester natural resources management and engineering major, 1,900 pounds of shoes were collected in 2005. Last year, 4,000 pounds were collected - an increase of 2,100 pounds over four years. This year's goal is 5,000 pounds, said Laura Eichert, an intern at the OEP and 6th-semester psychology and Spanish double major.
"We think we can get more this year because the regional campuses are involved," Eichert said.
Miller said that last year's collection exceeded expectations and that the UConn Health Center in Farmington played a big role.
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