THE recycled SHOE

Photography by Denise Blasor

"You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in
any direction you choose.
You're on your own, and
 you know what you know.
And you're the guy
who'll decide where to go.

Dr. Seuss

Once upon a time people dreamed of turning metal into gold.
These days we seek a different, more practical alchemy: to
transform old objects into new ones via the process of recycling.

But recycling is not limited to taking an object apart and
using its usable components to make a similar or different article.
You can recycle by giving an item to another person or donating it
to a charity to sell for fundraising or distribute to people in need.

Take shoes. It seems such a pity to consign shoes that are
relatively in good condition to the nearest landfill when this sensible
article -- which makes it possible for people to walk around in
comfort on cement sidewalks -- can be recycled and put to good use.

ShoeBox is a for-profit company that collects shoes from the public
and distributes them where they are needed the most. And to
personalize the giving experience, the company invites people to
write a note to the future wearer, tucking it inside the shoe being
gifted. "When you place a note in your shoes and tell the next
owner what is special about them, you can trace the path they take
and ultimately find your Sole Mate."

You can send in shoes "in all shapes, sizes and colors" as long as
they are in decent condition and are not any of the following:
heavy winter boots, skates, blades, flip-flops, slippers, crocs,
singles or unusable. ShoeBox will even pay for you to ship
the shoes to its address; all you have to do is to request a
UPS label from the company at info@shoeboxrecycling.com/

Another organization that collects gently worn shoes (and money) is
Sole4Souls. Founded in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami that hit
SouthEast Asia, this charity has distributed more than 19 million
pairs to people in 125 countries, including the United States.

Consult the charity's website to find drop-off locations at partnering
retail stores or  if there aren't any close to you, ship the shoes to one
of the organization's warehouses, also listed on the website. Donors
must pay for their own shipping but for those of you on the mainland,
the charity recommends contacting Unishippers (877.791.7447) for
favorable shipping rates.

Soles4Souls accepts all types of shoes (either gently worn or new):
athletic, running, dress, sandals, pumps, heels, work boots, cleats,
dance, flip flops.

Finally, here's a Nike recycling program that has collected 28
million pairs of shoes since it kicked off in 1990. Called Nike
Reuse-A-Shoe, it allows people to drop off athletic shoes and
LIVESTRONG wristbands at more than 200 locations in eight
countries around the world, including most U.S. Nike stores.
The program is not available in Puerto Rico even though there
are two Nike factory stores on the island.

Nike limits in-store drop-offs to "10 pairs of shoes at a time to
prevent overwhelming our collection bins."

Or send your shoes to Nike Grind Processing, 3552 Avenue of
Commerce, Memphis, TN 38125. Mailing labels available at
nikereuseashoe.com

nikereuseashoe.com
sole4souls.org
shoeboxrecycling.com

FOOD for THOUGHT: According to Soles4Souls, Americans 
discard more than 300 million pairs of shoes per year. "When
these shoes breakdown in the landfills, the toxic glue that holds
the shoes together can leak into our water supply and 
atmosphere."

A SIMPLE TIP:          

If you are running out of space to store your books, head over to the nearest wine shop or
even a supermarket and ask if they have any wine wooden boxes to give away. These handsome, practical boxes make excellent shelving for books. You can easily stack them, one on top of the other. Or any old drawer no longer in use will do nicely, perhaps stacked on top of a couple of wine boxes as shown in the image.

Photography by Denise Blasor

To live life you have to season it...If you
don't suffer, you don't learn. So I use a little bit
of thyme, chile, clove & cinnamon 
to sweeten the taste of things.

The Secret Book of Frida Kahlo
by F.G. Haghenbeck

☛ EYE ON PRODUCTS:

If you're into mushrooms (sorry, not the magic kind!), then
you will love the Woodstock brand of Organic Shiitake
Mushrooms. These frozen beauties are ever so flavorful and
a breeze to prepare as an accompaniment to a vegetable stir fry
or a simple, whole-wheat pasta. Check them out at your area
supermarket or, if you live in San Juan, they can be found at
Supermercados Selectos in Santurce's Ciudadela complex.

"Morning Glory," by Lorraine Blasor

That sorrow which is the harbinger of joy
is preferable to the joy
which is followed by sorrow.

-- Saadi

©2013 Lorraine Blasor All Rights Reserved