Let’s be honest — what will you do with your old, worn-out shoes? You throw it away, and it finally ends up in a landfill.
Imagine if every Malaysian throws away one pair of shoes per year, 33 million pairs of shoes or ten million kilograms of shoes will be accumulated in the landfill. It’s equivalent to the weight of 60 blue whales! Because materials like rubber and leather can take years to decompose, dumping your old shoes in landfills is not a sustainable solution.
So, how can we end the harmful life cycle of shoes?
This program was launched on the 20th of July 2022 as the first project to address the issue by creating a shoe waste recycling ecosystem and providing a recycling platform for citizens to responsibly manage their shoe waste.
In collaboration with Dow Malaysia and Life Line Clothing Malaysia (LLCM), ‘Old Soles, New Life’ will collect old shoes to be repurposed into granules that will be used to build environmentally friendly playgrounds or sports surfaces.
In Malaysia, the ever-present waste problem of shoe waste has never been addressed. This will be a step forward for Malaysia toward a more sustainable future.
In the discourse on Malaysia’s waste management issue, the ‘Old Soles New Life’ program, in partnership with Dow and Life Line Clothing Malaysia (LLCM), was launched on the 20th of July 2022. This includes explaining the background of our work at SK Bukit Tadom (A), actively publicising the campaign, and collecting unwanted or worn-out shoes from the general public.
We hope to create a better environment for students, where we believe it can provide a sense of optimism and hope that will aid their learning process.
The success of this playground will pave the way for more eco-friendly and sustainable sports infrastructure built in the future. Kuala Lumpur, October 26 2022
Kuala Lumpur, 20th July 2022 – Malaysia’s impact-driven sustainability organisation, EcoKnights announces the launch of Old Soles New Life, a shoe recycling campaign – partnering
GOAL : Minimum collection of 3,750 pairs or 1,125 kg of shoe to be able to build new playground surface for primary school student in S.K. Bukit Tadom (A).
GOAL : Minimum collection of 3,750 pairs or 1,125 kg of shoe to be able to build new playground surface for S.K. Bukit Tadom (A).
GOAL : Minimum collection of 3,750 pairs or 1,125 kg of shoe to be able to build new playground surface for S.K. Bukit Tadom (A).
For more accurate location of the bins, kindly click on the selected location point details to reveal the contact number or email address of the person in-charge for each location.
A collaborative effort with potential sponsors is critical to the success of this campaign and our goal of becoming Malaysia’s first shoe waste recycling ecosystem. Your organization’s and business’s active involvement and support through this sustainability effort can provide us with a larger opportunity in terms of capital resources to expand this campaign on a larger scale and make this initiative permanent nationwide.
Join us as a sustainability champion and help us continue to inspire the public to take serious steps toward environmental protection.
All rubberized shoes with no metal parts, including sports shoes, school shoes, football boots (without metal studs), slippers and sandals are allowed. There is no limit to the number of shoes you drop off.
There is currently no limit to the number of shoes you can donate to us. Although our primary goal has been met, you are welcome to donate as many shoes as you can while the campaign is still running.
Shoes should be dry and clean in general. Please avoid shoes that are soiled and wet because bacterial contamination may occur.
You are welcome to donate shoes in large quantities. Contact us at info@ecoknights.org.my
There is close to 30 shoe collection points across Klang Valley, Kuala Lumpur and Johor with plans to add more. We are working on expanding our shoe collection points by seeking sponsorship through bin placements from various organisations and industries.
Life Line Clothing Malaysia (LLCM), our primary recycling partner, will collect the shoes.
Through our sponsorship tiers package, you can adopt a bin. Simply click here to learn more about our sponsorship package. If you want to be a collection point partner, please consider:
Note that the site verification is subject to approval by EcoKnights, Dow and Life Line Clothing Malaysia. Please contact us at info@ecoknights.org.my if you have any questions.
We want to give used shoes a second life by repurposing them into sports infrastructure such as jogging tracks, fitness corners, and playground surfaces, all of which contribute to the goal of diverting waste away from landfills. Along with this, the community can be encouraged to adopt a recycling mindset in which everyone can contribute. This could indicate a shift from a linear to a circular economy, beginning with individual actions.
The shoes will be ground into rubber granules and fibres. These recycled shoe materials will then be used in infrastructure construction, specifically suitable for running tracks and playgrounds, enabling us to reduce more hazardous recycled tyres or SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber). Malaysia’s first built from recycled shoes is the school playground at SK Bukit Tadom (A) in Banting, Selangor which caters to 100 indigenous students. The built used an estimated 4,000 pairs of shoes..
We’ve successfully completed the first chapter of this important journey. Over 10,700 pairs of shoes were collected in the first three months following the launch of the Old Soles New Life campaign on July 20. (or 3,000 kg). The campaign is still ongoing because we are broadening it and are committed to resolving waste management issues while also supporting Malaysian communities. The support of partnerships from various organisations and non-governmental organisations will give us a better chance of raising capital to expand this campaign into its second phase. Stay up to date on our latest news by visiting our website and following us on social media. Find us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Chat on WhatsApp or send us an email to info@EcoKnights.org.my
