How Many Shoe Are In the Landfill?

Shoes are made from a combination of vinyl, leather, plastic and a host of other materials and take anywhere from 25-40 years to decompose in a landfill. This length of time paired with the estimated 300 million pairs of shoes discarded each year means that landfills are inundated with shoes.

Unfortunately, the number of pairs of shoes people have in their closets compared to how many they actually wear is usually glaringly different.

According to usagainblog.com, studies in 2013 estimated that 20 billion pairs of shoes are produced annually, and unfortunately, roughly 300 million pairs are thrown away each year.

Some creative alternatives for disposing of unwanted shoes in the trash include donating them, repurposing them, and trading them with friends.

Next time you find yourself with shoes you no longer wear or want, consider an alternative to throwing them into the landfill.

For more information on recycling visit www.wasteawaygroup.com.