Zigzag-JogOn link-up aims to keep millions of shoes out of landfill

Retail returns specialist ZigZag has partnered with environmental campaigner JogOn to prevent a million pairs of running shoes from going to landfill. The plan is to use ZigZag’s smart returns software to reduce the environmental impact by eventually finding new homes for the 33 million running shoes discarded into landfills annually. 

Starting with the commitment of a million shoes, its goal is to find new owners among individuals who would benefit from the quality footwear being discarded every day.

JogOn estimates there are 18 billion pairs of running shoes sold in the world every year — the equivalent of two pairs per person on earth. However, there are millions of people globally with limited access to shoes of any kind and an estimated 3 million people that suffer from foot-related diseases. 

Al Gerrie, CEO of ZigZag, said: “Helping taking care of the planet through smarter returns is one of the core principles that defines our work here at ZigZag. We look forward to actively directing running shoes away from landfills so that they go to new homes.” 

Tony Piedade, founder of JogOn and RunningBuddy, added: “Running shoes… may become unsuitable for running but can still serve a purpose. When they reach the end of their life, it’s crucial to dispose of them in a way that prevents landfill accumulation.

“At JogOn, our goal is to divert running shoes from landfills. [by redirecting] these shoes to our headquarters. Here, they are assessed and, when feasible, repurposed.”