SCARCE

Each Spring SCARCE converts the book sorting garage into the Gym Shoe Rescue Project.  This is a huge project that keeps 1000's of shoes out of the landfill.  It's a community effort, involving many volunteers and organizations that help collect and sort the shoes.

2012 Drop Off Dates:  April 20-May 22

How can YOU help?

1.  Our small, but mighty, non-profit needs your help to keep this project kickin'.  It's $50 to cover the cost of one gaylord box of shoes.  That $50 pays for the gaylord box, tape, pallet and other supplies needed.  We ship out over 35 boxes each year.  If you're collecting shoes, consider take up a small donation from everyone to cover the cost of a box. 

2.  Anticipating an even bigger collection in 2012, this year we are looking into getting a portable storage container for the shoes for the 2 months we do our collection.  Feeling generous?  $500 would cover the cost of a portable storage container!

3.  As the final collection day approaches, we need volunteers to help with several things.  The Glen Ellyn Kiwanis Club has helped us with removal of batteries from light up shoes.    We need help with sorting, counting, boxing and more.  We separate any wearable shoe for other charity organizations.  Don't want to sort shoes?  You could hlep us by driving good shoes to donation locations (such as Goodwill, Salvation Army...)

How does it work?

The shoes are collected all over the DuPage county area. Many local organizations help the Gym Shoe Rescue project by hosting local shoe drives at their school, church, or business. Volunteers from community organization (e.g. scout troops, school Eco clubs, church group) organize the local drives and volunteer to sort and count the shoes.  Many of the "good" shoes are sorted and donated before they even reach the SCARCE garage.

SCARCE buys the gaylords (giant boxes), and coordinates the shoe collections and volunteers, so that all the shoes get delivered to scarce, sorted, counted, and the good shoes reused. At the end of the project, SCARCE rents a forklift to move all the shoes into the Nike trunk that comes to get the shoes. The collection  lasts about a month during April/May, and is an expensive project for SCARCE. Donations to offset the costs are appreciated.

What Happens to the shoes?

The shoes that are in good shape are donated to local charities and resale shops for re-use. Even some single shoes in good shape are even donated for use by  amputees. The remaining, unwearable shoes go  to the Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe Program, which turns worn-out gym shoes into new Nike products. 

Once the shoes are delivered to Nike, they are demanufactured to produce the recycled “Nike Grind” material can be used to make new products like sports surfaces, playgrounds, carpet padding, insulation, basketballs, frisbees, and other Nike products. By recycling old gym shoes, Nike decreases the environmental impact of consuming new raw materials and saves the materials from being wasted and adding to the garbage in landfills. To learn more about what happens to the shoes that are recycled, please visit Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe Program.

If You Are Collecting Shoes

• Tie pairs together with laces (then we can find the pairs for re-use). Single shoes are also accepted.
• Worn-out shoes, shoes with holes, no laces, dirty are accepted
• No cleats, flip flops, dress shoes, heel shoes, black soled shoes

 If you bring a large amount of shoes, you can help us out by sorting them intoboxes/bags labeled with the following and number of shoes or pairs:
- Broken, worn down, torn, unwearable gym shoes (no cleats)
- Kids light-up shoes
- Good/re-wearable single shoes (without a matching pair)
- Good/re-wearable pairs of shoes for charity
- Other

 

2010 List of Group Shoe Donors