Nike shoe recycling program underway

Those with old tennis shoes on their hands now have a resourceful way
to clean out their closets.

Five students are collecting rubber-soled athletic shoes for Nike’s
Reuse-A-Shoe program.

“We found the Nike Web site when we were in search of a topic for a
semester-long service-learning project,” said Amy Prater-Manor,
Farmington Hills senior. “We wanted to work on a project that
encouraged new ways (of) recycling.”

The collection began Monday and will run until Nov. 18. Shoes can be
dropped off in the Student Activity Center or in the lobby of Calkins
Residence Hall.

Prater-Manor said the shoe drive has been extended an additional
week because results thus far have been less than anticipated.

“The numbers are small, mostly because college students have
mentioned that their old shoes are at home,” she said.

Group member Nikki VanTiem, Grass Lake junior, said such a project
might be more successful during an extended period of time. This would
allow students to bring back shoes after weekends.

“We were hoping for hundreds of pairs and we’ve only gotten about 15
pairs so far,” she said.

Nike will grind the donated shoes to make three types of Nike Grind
material. The material is then used to make different types of sports
surfaces, including synthetic basketball courts and running tracks.

One of the students’ goals is to get a Registered Student
Organization to adopt the Reuse-A-Shoe program and hold regular shoe
drives. VanTiem said they have passed out fliers to each RSO and have
informed all the fraternities and sororities on campus.

They also have made a presentation to the National Science Teachers
Association, Prater-Manor said. The service-learning group project was
an assignment for the RPL 216: Introduction to Outdoor Recreation
course.