COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — It’s not often most think of the environmental impact of shoes.
According to the Council Bluffs nonprofit, 712 Initiative, shoes and clothing waste make up nearly 66% of what’s in landfills.
"Everyone has shoes in their closet," Amber Quigley Program director said. "When we throw those shoes away they take at least a thousand years to break down in landfills."
Across Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County, the nonprofit is collecting as many shoes as they can, giving them a second life.
Shoes that can still be worn are given to those in developing countries and can be resold. Others that might be a little worse-for-wear are recycled.
"It’s crazy to think that some of the rubber soles on somebody’s shoes are being ground up into asphalt that my kids will play on," said Underwood resident Jennifer Fletcher.
Fletcher has become the go-to person to donate shoes in her hometown.
"My front porch has actually become a drop-off zone," she said. "Last year we probably donated at least 200 shoes."
Fletcher isn't the only one, Quigley says, area students have also become heavily involved in the drive. Last year, they collected 4,000 pairs of shoes.
The 712 initiative has about 30 locations across Council Bluffs where you can donate old shoes, donors are asked to lace them together or use a rubber band to keep them from getting separated. The 712 initiative will collect donations until the end of the month.
Learn more here: the712initiative.org
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