Reuse a Shoe at SUU

Published: November 02, 2009 | Read Time: 2 minutes

SUU is joining forces with the local community to reduce Cedar City’s collective carbon footprint this November in celebration of America Recycles Day. And in partnership with Nike’s ReUse a Shoe program, there seems no more fitting way to start than with the feet. 

Throughout the first two weeks of November, SUU’s Earth Club will be collecting and brand or quality of old athletic shoes for the Nike shoe drive at drop boxes by the Centrum Arena Ticket Office. The drive will run through November 14. 

Then, as explained on Nike’s Reuse a Shoe website, “your old kicks - as well as pre-consumer materials, such as manufacturing scrap and shoes with manufacturing flaws - are sorted and processed into three types of raw material: rubber from the outsole, foam from the midsole and fabric fibers from the upper.” Nike will then use these recycled materials to make basketball courts, running tracks and playground. Recycled materials may also be used to make new shoes and apparel. 

This innovative approach to reducing waste and consumption is just the beginning for SUU’s “green” efforts. 

The Earth Club will also join forces with Cedar City to celebrating America Recycles Day on November 14 with the grand opening of Pure Recycling's new recycling facility. In addition to tours of the new facility, for one day only, community members will be able to drop off electronic waste for free. Such waste, including old cell phones, computers, televisions and microwaves, is often hard to dispose of responsibly. 

The e-waste drop off will be open from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the new Pure Recycling facility at 597 North and 1500 West. 

Back on campus, SUU’s Earth Club has placed recycling bins in every building on campus to motivate students to recycle basic cans, bottles and newspapers, with the goal of providing at least one bin for each floor of every building. The club also provides recycling bins at all home games and is branching this service out to other campus events as well. 

In addition, SUU’s Earth Club is working to reduce the University’s paper consumption and trash reduction. Such initiatives are well-aligned with the University’s overall efforts to be environmentally responsible. In addition to recycling and waste reduction, the University has also focused its efforts on its reduction of water usage by overhauling its utilities and through xeriscaping and the planting of drought-resistant landscaping. Additionally, many of the University’s classrooms and meeting spaces have lights with motion sensors and dimming features. 

Such efforts, combined with the recent creation a sustainability committee that includes faculty, staff and students, has gone a long way to reduce the size of SUU’s footprint. We hope the community will join us.

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