Used sneakers to be collected for recycling in Middletown

MIDDLETOWN — The city of Middletown is once again collecting sneakers to be recycled into athletic surfaces.

From now until June 27, area residents can drop off their used, unwanted sneakers at the Recycling Center.

“The rules are simple,” Recycling Coordinator Kim O’Rourke said — only athletic shoes, from any brand, are acceptable.

The shoes can’t contain metal eyelets or cleats, and the recycling center won’t accept dress shoes, sandals, boots or shoes with lights in them. Wet or muddy shoes are also not acceptable, and sneakers shouldn’t be tied together.

O’Rourke said the sneaker collection is timed for the spring because it’s a time when people think about cleaning out their closets and about buying new shoes for the summer.

“Recycling sneakers will help reduce pollution, conserve energy and save natural resources,” O’Rourke said, “Not to mention clean out many overstuffed closets.”

After June 28, O’Rourke said, the Recycling Center will bring the shoes to a collection point in Willimantic, where they’ll be recycled into a substance called Nike Grind, which is used for athletic surfaces like tracks, outdoor basketball and tennis courts, and safe playground surfaces.

To use the recycling center, residents need a pass from the Department of Public Works. O’Rourke said that if anyone from outside Middletown wishes to drop off shoes, they can call her at (860) 344-3526, or email her at kim.orourke@cityofmiddletown.com so she can make sure they won’t have any problems accessing the center.

O’Rourke said the city has been collecting shoes for several years, and while they’ve never counted the exact number of pairs, they usually collect about two tons of shoes.

The Recycling Center is located at the corner of Johnson Street and North Main Street. It’s open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and every Saturday through June from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m