Shoe circularity gets trial run: Footwear Collective pilots circular systems amid EPR push
While fashion’s recycling systems are steadily advancing, footwear remains one of the industry’s toughest circularity challenges. It is this challenge, however, that The Footwear Collective is looking to tackle head-on through a series of shoe-dedicated programmes that intend to address the lack of infrastructure readily available to this sector. The organisation’s Footwear Futures Project reflects the tangible beginning stages of this effort.
Starting with an initial shoe collection spanning a month, ending October 31, the programme is the collective’s first large-scale pilot dedicated to testing circular systems for end-of-life footwear. Its launch is centred on Los Angeles, California, where the collective has partnered with 50 Goodwill SoCal sites, which have served as temporary shoe collection points over the month. Once the period has finalised, the collected shoes – the collective is targeting 30,000 pounds of footwear – will be sorted and either resold by Goodwill if deemed wearable or passed on to partnered innovators – three of which will be named later this month – to explore recycling solutions.
Founded in 2023 by Dr. Yuly Funetes-Medel, the Footwear Collective is an industry-focused initiative operating as part of the nonprofit EarthDNA. Structured as a membership organisation, with 11 footwear brands and retailers already under its belt, the collective has set out to scope, develop and scale circular solutions for the footwear industry to contribute to the establishment of a more responsible industry.
Its member brands include Altra, Brooks, Crocs, Ecco, New Balance, On, Reformation, Steve Madden, Target, Vans and Vibram.
Footwear’s complexity has kept circularity out of reach… Until now
The collective itself has identified a need to build up recycling infrastructure for footwear, which currently lacks a solid system due to the challenging nature of the product. Speaking to FashionUnited, the organisation’s programme manager, Morgan Ginn, said: “Footwear is too often lumped together with textiles, but shoes are much more complex – more like electronics than garments. That complexity is exactly what’s kept circularity out of reach until now. Footwear is notoriously difficult to recycle because a single pair often combines dozens of materials bonded with glues and foams that can’t easily separate. They are fused together in ways that make disassembly and recycling a costly challenge.”
Ginn also sees a desire for unification in an industry that is largely disconnected. Though takeback schemes and other sustainably-minded initiatives are becoming more popular methods of engaging with consumers on a circular level, barriers emerge once a used item enters the recycling stream. With brands also unable to directly communicate with one another on potential alternatives for preloved footwear, solid solutions are yet to be established, despite a growing demand. In this respect, The Footwear Collective sees itself as a “safe space for collaboration on pre-competitive projects like infrastructure and material recovery”, Ginn said.
Initially zoning in on LA is also intentional. Compared to other states, California demonstrated somewhat of a “readiness” on both the policy and consumer-front for projects of this calibre. Much of this has been accelerated upon the introduction of California’s EPR bill, SB 707, which will soon impose more responsibility onto brands and retailers over their end-of-life products.
California’s Senate Bill 707, passed earlier this year, is set to make the state the first in the US to introduce Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles. The legislation requires producers to fund and manage systems that collect, sort and recycle used textiles, with the goal of diverting millions of products from landfills.
For the footwear industry, the bill could reflect what’s coming: greater accountability for the end life of products and new opportunities to pilot scalable systems, akin to the Footwear Futures Project. “California’s policy will support projects like ours as we build and test circular infrastructure,” Ginn told FashionUnited. If successful, SB 707 could serve as a blueprint for national EPR frameworks, driving innovation, investment and collaboration forward across the industry.
“For the first iteration of the project, we needed to rely on what we call ‘power users’ – people who are so motivated that they will be willing to go out of their way to drop off their shoes for this particular project,” Ginn noted when speaking on why consumers in LA were so appealing for the pilot. According to Ginn, the response in the city has been more than positive, and demand has started to become evident from consumers in other regions across the US, from San Francisco to Boston. “That hunger for a solution tells us we’re on to something,” Ginn stated.
Goodwill partnership provides both programme accessibility and dignified work
Goodwill ultimately emerged as a strong initial partner to trial the framework. It is estimated that around 80 percent of Americans live within 10 miles of one of the secondhand stores, making it widely accessible to the general public. Its further dual focus on reuse and workforce development aligns with The Footwear Collective’s own values. “People have been bringing products to Goodwill for over a hundred years,” Ginn said. “They’re the original reuse experts. And this partnership also shows how circularity creates jobs – real, dignified work that also keeps materials in use.”
Speaking on the partnership with The Footwear Collective, Margaret Frericks, director of foundations and sustainability at Goodwill SoCal, said: “Sustainability and social impact have always been at the heart of what we do. Each year, we extend the life of millions of donated goods while funding job training and career placement programmes for thousands of people.
“This partnership allows us to expand on that commitment by giving consumers an easy way to keep even their most worn shoes in circulation – while creating both environmental impact and opportunities for the communities we serve.”
The project itself contributes to multiple parts of The Footwear Collective’s official seven-point pathway, all of which come together to holistically address and accelerate circularity in footwear. Aligning the industry, driving the adoption of circular consumer habits, and designing effective systems to collect waste are just some of the moving parts in the organisation’s efforts. Other steps will be tackled through additional projects that ultimately hope to bridge the gap currently left in necessary infrastructure.
Compiled data to assist in future systems and new project locations
Much of the project’s contribution will come in the form of data collected alongside the footwear. In addition to compiling data on the actual shoes donated, from their brand to the condition to the type, Footwear Futures Project is also encouraging engagement through a survey on its site. The pieces will ultimately come together in a report due to release early next year, with all the collected data – participation rate, volume collected, etc. – to then help inform future project locations.
“We’re learning who’s most motivated, how far people will go to drop off shoes, and what barriers still exist,” Ginn said. “That data helps us design future systems that are easier and more accessible. For each pair, we’re collecting data – what brand it is, what condition it’s in, what materials it uses. That information doesn’t exist today, and it’s vital to scaling solutions.”
Naturally, there are challenges when it comes to trying to solve circularity complexity. Ginn notes that, like a domino chain, if you touch one part of this system, you have to touch all of it. The issue of limited end markets for recovered materials, as well as the need for secondary markets beyond footwear, also means there are also a lot of loose ends to try and tie together. Yet, for the collective, there is a sense of urgency in already building on foundations. “We don’t have time to wait for the perfect solution,” Ginn added.
At the crux, however, is a need for industry-wide collaboration, a mindset that has become common among broader conversations on creating scalable, circular systems. And this latest month-long project is just the first, singular tangible step in establishing footwear’s part to play in this process. “We’re a nonprofit, and transparency is part of our DNA,” Ginn said. “We’ll be sharing updates on the project through our website and social media channels – following the journey of these shoes and sharing what we learn along the way. Because this isn’t about one brand; it’s about building a system that works for everyone, together, step by step.”
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