Our Footprint

Minimising our footprint while Maximising our love for shoes!

We are always looking for simple but effective ways to reduce our footprint to help the environment.

Some immediate things we have been able to implement are minimal packaging; most shoes will be sent with minimal packaging while still maintaining your shoes’ safety in transit; this may also include not receiving the box. 

Did you know, In 2019, 30% of 78 million tons is just one country’s ratio of packaging to waste? Quiet staggering isn’t it! 

And it’s estimated that one container ship produces the same amount of pollution as 50 million cars!  Wow, so yes totally, why would you double ship with stats like that if you don’t have to?  

So yep, you guessed it, our suppliers will be sending your shoes directly from their warehouse; it may take a little longer in some instances to reach you, but the overall gain to the environment, if everyone brought their shoes from us, would be just absolutely massive!

And not only that, but it also means no over-ordering, eliminating excess stock.  So it’s like a double whammy or 2 birds with 1 stone; however, recently sitting near my birds, I had a thought about that saying, and I’m no longer a fan! So let’s go with a double whammy, YAY! 

So just with those 2 little adjustments, we are on our way to achieving great results.

There are many ways that you can recycle your shoes. LaGela Shoes aims to encourage everyone to do their bit.

Recycling shoes;

• Clean – give them a good gentle clean you will be amazed what it can do. 

• Resoled/heeled – if it’s just a sole or heel, take them to your local Cobbler to be restored.  

• Resell – eBay, Marketplace, Markets, and Car Boot Sales are just some of the great places to resell your items and an excellent way to make some extra cash for more shoes. 

• Donate – there are various places that you could donate shoes.  Homeless Shelter, Charity Bin, Local Theatre or Dance Studio, Friends, Nieces, Cousins, Neighbours the list is endless.  See LaGela’s preferred choice of charities below.

• Recycling –  Loved your shoes to the death and nothing left for somebody else to enjoy, then recycling is the next step you should be taking in these shoes.  A lot more companies are now recycling the materials in shoes.  Sneakers are a big one, with many shoe stores starting to have designated bins for shoe recycling.  Search the web to see if there are any local recycling stores near you. We have also listed our selection below.

• Get creative and use them around the house as decorations  – shoes can make great pot plants, hanging artwork, or wine bottle holders, for example. 

• We will also be holding shoe drives encouraging people to donate their unwanted shoes to some great causes. 

LaGela Shoe’s has collated a list of Charities and Recycling businesses you can donate your unwanted shoes to; there are many more, but this selection touches our hearts, souls and values. 

Globally

Dress for Success  – LaGela Shoes’s choice for recycling women’s shoes is Dress for Success. They are a global not for profit organisation that empower women to achieve economic independence plus so much more.  Check them out and donate today.    

Terracycle – is eliminating the Idea of Waste® by recycling the “non-recyclable.” Whether it’s coffee capsules from your home, pens from a school, or plastic gloves from a manufacturing facility, TerraCycle can collect and recycle almost any form of waste.  

Australia

Fitted For Work – helps Australian women experiencing disadvantage get work, keep work and strive at work.

Save our Soles – re-purposes old shoes into all types of different flooring, including gyms and playgrounds, instead of going into landfill.

Canada 

Shoe Bank Canada – has a mission to ensure that every Canadian has access to a decent pair of shoes! Check out their stories, with their support reaching beyond Canada.

Soles 4 Souls – distributes donated shoes to those who need them most. If the shoes cannot be reused, they are sent for refurbishing by small businesses in developing economies.

United Kingdom

Shoe Aid – is a national charity based here in the UK who source and supply free footwear through a collection and distribution network, so no child or adult need go without shoes

Recycle Now – has a simple, handy recycling locator tool. You enter the item type to be recycled and location, and it will give a list of drop off locations near you.

United States

One World Running – is an international program promoting an awareness of health, fitness and nutrition by providing running shoes to those in need within the United States and around the world.

Soles 4 Souls – turn unwanted shoes and clothing into an opportunity by keeping them from going to waste and putting them to good use, thus providing relief, creating jobs and empowering people to break the cycle of poverty.

Got some suggestions on how to recycle shoes, contact us now we’d love to hear from you.