Unwanted running shoes are set to be redirected from landfill to those who most need them around the world thanks to a new partnership between returns technology company, ZigZag, and environmental campaign, JogOn.
JogOn – an initiative set up in 2022 by Tony Piedade, founder and CEO of social media platform Jogging Buddy, which helps runners find like-minded people to join them on their runs – will use ZigZag’s software as part of the new arrangement.
As part of the process, JogOn will find new homes for the circa 33 million running shoes discarded annually.
It is estimated there are 18 billion pairs of running shoes sold in the world every year – which is the equivalent of two pairs per person on the planet – yet there are millions of people globally with limited access to footwear of any kind and an estimated three million people that suffer from foot-related diseases. JogOn aims to help these people gain access to the shoes that have been discarded by others.
Since bringing JogOn on to market two years ago, Piedade and his team have sorted through almost 50,000 pairs of unwanted running shoes.
Al Gerrie, CEO of ZigZag, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with JogOn in their fight against the environmental wastage of running shoes.
“Helping taking care of the planet through smarter returns is one of the core principles that defines our work here at ZigZag. We look forward to actively directing running shoes away from landfills so that they go to new homes.”
Piedade added: “Running shoes, for example, may become unsuitable for running but can still serve a purpose.
“When they reach the end of their life, it’s crucial to dispose of them in a way that prevents landfill accumulation. At JogOn, our goal is to divert one million pairs of running shoes from landfills. We’re accomplishing this by leveraging ZigZag’s returns software, which helps redirect these shoes to our headquarters. Here, they are assessed and, when feasible, repurposed.”
Runners in the UK and, now, Germany can recycle their trainers using the JogOn-ZigZag partnership.
ZigZag typically helps e-commerce retailers manage returns. The ZigZag platform connects major retailers to a global network of over 200 warehouses and 1,500-plus carrier services in more than 170 countries, and the company’s client list include department store group Selfridges, and fashion retail businesses Frasers Group, New Look, and The Hut Group.
[Image credit: Green Retail World]
