Sustainable Shoe Disposal Options: 12+ Powerful Ways to Reduce Waste and Protect the Planet

It’s easy to see why. A new pair for a wedding outfit, sandals for a summer holiday, boots that make winter feel less bleak… before you know it, the collection grows. But when it comes to repairing our shoes, we’re falling short. With the leather shoe repair industry predicted to decline (Statista), far too many pairs are ending up in the bin instead.

That’s a problem. Shoe recycling plays a big role in cutting down household waste, and many pairs we throw away are still perfectly wearable, or could be repaired with a little skill and TLC. Knowing what to do with your old shoes is key to keeping them out of landfill and reducing fashion’s environmental footprint.

Shoes are made from a cocktail of materials, like rubber, polyurethane, leather, textiles, metal eyelets, all of which guzzle natural resources to produce. Recycling or donating them helps cut demand for fresh resources, saves water, energy, and fossil fuels, and keeps harmful chemicals (like those in adhesives and synthetic soles) out of our soil and water systems.

So the question is: if you can’t just drop them at a charity shop, or worse, toss them in the bin, what should you do with your old shoes?

Here’s what you really need to know.

The Connection Between Shoe Waste and Sustainability

So it’s just one or two pairs of shoes, what difference could it really make?

Quite a lot, actually

Every year over 300 million pairs of shoes are thrown out by the public in the UK, and the majority of those are going to landfill. (DDC)

Footwear is one of the most resource-intensive parts of fashion, and each pair can take 50 to 100 years to decompose, depending on the materials. When they end up in landfill, they leach harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, adhesives, and synthetic dyes into the environment. Yeesh.

Sustainability is about more than just the recycling, it’s also about designing, buying, and using products in ways that create less harm and more longevity. When it comes to shoes, that can mean donating, reselling, repairing, or responsibly recycling instead of binning them.

Every option like this feeds into the circular economy (hooray!), keeping products in use for as long as possible, then looping them back into the system when they’ve truly reached the end of their life.

The good news is that shoppers and brands are already shifting their habits. From biodegradable and recycled materials to repair services, resale markets, and shoe takeback schemes like ours, the opportunities to make better choices are growing every day.

Repairing Shoes to Extend Their Life

It might feel a little old-school, but repairing your shoes is one of the most sustainable and surprisingly satisfying ways to extend your wardrobe.

Bonus: you’re supporting local craftsmanship and discovering just how much magic (and value) a good cobbler can create.

Simple fixes like replacing a heel or resoling can cost as little as £5–£10, which is far cheaper than buying new. Even budget-friendly shoes can last for years longer with a quality sole or a quick reheeling. We’ve had shoes from the highstreet that have been revived with a new sole, and lived on for many years (Thinking of a famous pair of Topshop boots that outlasted the Topshop highstreet stores).

And it’s not just soles and heels. Did you know you can stretch out shoes that pinch, repair stitching, or patch up worn-down heels from the inside? Your high street repair shop can handle all of that wizardry and more.

Some brands even offer their own services: Birkenstock has a repair and refurbishment programme (currently paused), and Dr. Martens restores boots to their original specs, adding a whole new decade of wear to your investment pair. With this kind of support, spending more upfront makes a lot more sense.

Maintenance matters too. Regular polishing, cleaning, and a little TLC go a long way in keeping shoes in circulation. We like to set aside one afternoon every three months for a shoe refresh: send unworn pairs to the Reskinned takeback service, wash and polish the keepers, and drop the repairables at the cobbler. A little love, a lot more life.

Separating Components for Partial Recycling

Shoes are made up of all kinds of materials, and while the whole shoe isn’t always recyclable, individual parts often are. When you send old shoes to Reskinned, we’ll take care of this process for you, but if you’re curious how it works, here’s a peek behind the scenes:

• Remove laces and insoles: These can often be reused or recycled separately.
  
  
• Check for metal parts: Eyelets, buckles, and zips can be recycled as scrap metal.
  
  
• Separate rubber soles: Some facilities accept pure rubber for recycling.
  
  

Breaking shoes down like this is especially useful if a local centre won’t take mixed materials. That said, the easiest option is to use a dedicated programme like ours. We’ll handle all the dismantling, so nothing goes to waste.

Charity Shops Accepting Shoes

One of the simplest ways to give your old shoes a second life is by donating them to a charity shop. In the UK, organisations like Give Your Best, Oxfam, and Crisis accept shoe donations, as long as they’re clean and in resellable condition.

But be wary. If shoes are too worn out to be sold, they can actually create extra costs for the charity. So when you’re bagging up donations, it’s worth being a little bit selective.

Before donating your old shoes, follow these quick steps:

• Clean them. A quick wipe makes them more appealing to buyers.
  
  
• Keep pairs together. Tie the laces or use rubber bands.
  
  
• Check the condition. Shoes should be functional, with no major holes or broken parts.
  
  

And if that feels like too much hassle? If your shoes are from one of our partner brands, you can simply send them to Reskinned. We’ll handle the cleaning, refurbishment, and finding them a new home. No prep required.

Online Platforms for Selling Pre-Loved Shoes

If your shoes are still in good condition and have decent resale value, online platforms are a great option. Sites like eBay, Vinted, Depop, and Facebook Marketplace make it easy to connect your second-hand shoes with someone who’s ready to buy.

For the best chance of a quick sale:

• Take clear, high-quality photos from multiple angles.
  
  
• Write detailed descriptions with size, condition, brand, and original price.
  
  
• Be honest about wear and tear. Transparency builds trust and helps you get better reviews, and trust us, you don’t want to deal with the hassle of returns.
  
  

Selling your shoes is a great way to recoup some of the cash you spent, and it also keeps them out of landfill, plus putting affordable, quality footwear in someone else’s hands… or on their feet, more accurately.

And here’s something you might not know: we resell shoes donated through our Reskinned takeback programmes too. When you trade them in, you’ll get credit to spend with your favourite brand.

Schuh’s Takeback programme

If you’re a Schuh shopper, their Sell Your Soles scheme is well worth knowing about. You can drop off any shoes, any brand, any condition, at one of their stores, and you’ll get a £5 voucher towards your next purchase.

The collected shoes are processed by Recyclatex who make sure they’re reused or recycled responsibly. Since launching, the programme has already diverted hundreds of thousands of pairs from landfill, which is a pretty impressive step in the right direction.

Clarks ShoeShare and Recyclatex Partnership

Another pioneering initiative worth us mentioning is Clarks’ ShoeShare programme. Through in-store collection bins and a partnership with Recyclatex (can you spot a theme?). Clarks also accepts shoes from any brand, in any condition. The funds generated are used to support charitable projects.

Since launching in 2008, ShoeShare has raised over £1.6 million, helping UNICEF and other charities fund programmes that support children worldwide, showing how a simple act can have a very big global impact when we all take part.

Nike Grind and Innovative Recycling Approaches

Another popular large-scale recycling initiative is Nike Grind. The programme takes end-of-life footwear, unsellable pairs (like samples or defects), and leftover manufacturing materials like rubber, foam, fibres, leather, and textiles, and transforms them into something new.

For almost 30 years, Nike has been using these materials in everything from product design to retail spaces, think office furniture, running tracks, skateboards, and laptop sleeves (plus hundreds of other things too).

And it’s not just Nike doing it. At Reskinned, we also recycle old sports gear, transforming it into punchbags for our partners at Sweaty Betty. You can read about it here.

Veja’s Clean, Repair, Collect Project

Since 2020, eco-footwear brand Veja have been collecting shoes for recycling, and repairing shoes from any and every brand in their european shoe stores. They employ local cobblers to come in and repair shoes for customers, and have even used the leather waste to create bespoke styles for their store in Japan.

You can read more about the project here.

Revivo by Vivo

Love that barefoot feel?

Vivo makes shoes so light, it’s like they’re not even there. If you’re curious about trying a new kind of shoe, you can retire your old pair of trainers (from any brand) and they will recycle them responsibly, and give you 20% off a new pair of full-price Vivo shoes.

Vivo also offers a repair service, so once you’ve invested, your shoes can go the distance with you.

Recycle shoes with Vivo here.

Local Council Recycling Centres

Most councils in the UK provide household waste and recycling centres that accept old shoes. These facilities often include:

• Textile recycling bins
  
  
• Dedicated drop-off points for footwear and clothing
  
  

To find your nearest recycling point, check your local council’s website or use the Recycle Now locator tool. You can also find recycling points for hard-to-recycle items (yes shoes come into that category) on the Terracycle website too.

Here at Reskinned we also recycle old shoes, so you can send them to us through our takeback programme and if they’re at the end of their usable life, we’ll make sure they’re recycled responsibly and nothing ends up in landfill.

Using Recycle Now’s Postcode Tool

Recycle Now is a government-supported platform that makes it easy to recycle responsibly. It offers:

• A postcode search tool to find local recycling centres
  
  
• Guidelines on recycling all kinds of household goods
  
  
• Updates on seasonal events and special collection drives

You can find your nearest recycling option here.

Quick tip: most centres prefer shoes to be tied together and free from heavy dirt, so a quick clean before you drop them off goes a long way.

Shoe Disposal Banks and Community Collection Events

Shoe banks are another easy way to recycle old footwear sustainably. You’ll spot them in all sorts of places, like car parks, schools, supermarkets, and community centres, usually as large bins (often with a picture of shoes on the front).

They’re typically managed by recycling partners or charities, but it’s worth checking who operates the ones near you. Different schemes handle shoes in different ways, and let’s just say that some are more environmentally responsible than others. They may also have specific rules on what you can drop off, so it’s good to read the small print.

Alongside these year-round bins, you’ll sometimes find collection drives or fundraisers run by local councils or community groups. A quick Google search or a scroll through local Facebook groups will usually flag up what’s happening nearby. And if there’s nothing in your area? Maybe that’s your sign to start one up!

Repair Cafés and Sustainability Workshops

A relatively new but growing trend, repair cafés are springing up across UK towns and cities. These community spaces offer hands-on sessions where you can learn to fix, mend, or upcycle everyday items. While not always shoe-specific, many workshops include support from local cobblers or volunteers who can help breathe new life into worn-out footwear.

The more we share skills and knowledge, the more we can choose to reuse and repair instead of replace.

Confirming Acceptance Criteria Before Drop-Off

Before donating or recycling, take a moment to double-check what your chosen programme accepts:

• Brands or materials. Some locations don’t take leather, children’s shoes, or certain synthetics.
  
  
• Drop-off times and packaging rules. Check opening hours and whether items need to be bagged.
  
  
• Condition requirements. See if shoes must be wearable, or if damaged pairs are also accepted.
  
  

A quick bit of homework helps avoid wasted trips and ensures your shoes end up in the right next home.

Freecycle, Freegle, and Local Swap Networks

Freecycle and Freegle are UK-based platforms where you can give away just about anything, yes, including old shoes, to people in your community. Simply list your items, and someone who wants to reuse them will arrange to collect them as soon as they can.

It’s a simple way to support zero-waste living, encourage community sharing, and keep items in circulation without any money changing hands. Perfect for shoes that are still wearable, but maybe not quite in sellable condition.

FAQs on Sustainable Shoe Disposal Options

1. What condition do my shoes need to be in to donate them?
   Shoes should be clean, dry, and structurally sound. Charity shops prefer wearable shoes without holes or heavy wear.
   
   
2. Can I recycle shoes with holes or broken soles?
   Yes, but they may need to go to specialised recycling schemes like the Reskinned takeback service, rather than any old donation.
3. Is it better to donate or recycle my shoes?
   If the shoes are wearable, donate them. If they are beyond repair, recycle them.
   
   
4. Do all recycling centres accept shoes?
   No. Check your local council or Recycle Now for specific centres that accept footwear.
   
   
5. Can I get a reward for recycling shoes?
   Yes, Reskinned offers a £10 discount for takebacks (sometimes more depending on the brand) and Schuh offers a £5 voucher through its Sell Your Soles programme.
   
   
6. What happens to donated shoes?
   They may be resold in charity shops, sent overseas for reuse, or processed for recycling by organisations like Recyclatex.
   
   

It’s essential to get rid of old shoes the right way if we want a truly circular fashion future. From repairing and donating to innovative recycling and creative reuse, every step makes a difference. The more we know, the more we can do, so thanks for taking the time to read this and be part of the change. We salute you.

Donate your old shoes via the Reskinned takeback programme here.