Crocs Expanded Global Footwear Recycling Program
The company increased its international takeback efforts to manage waste and improve supply chain sustainability.
Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Accessories
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Crocs Inc. launched its Old Crocs. New Life program in late 2023 to combat footwear waste. The initiative has since expanded from a U.S. pilot to include markets in Europe, Canada, Singapore, and South Korea by early 2026.
Why it matters
The program aims to address the global issue of footwear disposal, where millions of pairs end up in landfills annually. By incentivizing returns, the company seeks to recover materials and support reuse through partnerships.
The initiative targets the reduction of waste from an industry producing 23 billion pairs of shoes annually. Collected items are processed by Soles4Souls for reuse or by ReCircled for recycling into materials containing at least 25 percent recycled content.
The players
Crocs Inc.
This global footwear company is known for its molded clogs and has integrated sustainability initiatives into its supply chain.
Soles4Souls
This non-profit organization facilitates the distribution of gently used footwear to people lacking essential shoes.
ReCircled
This company specializes in circular economy solutions, including the deconstruction and recovery of materials from damaged footwear.
Goodwill Southern California
This regional non-profit provides employment training and social services while operating a network of retail donation centers.
The Footwear Collective
This organization tracks and aggregates consumer disposal data and collaborates on sustainability-focused collection events.
The details
Customers participate by dropping off unwanted footwear at in-store collection boxes or utilizing mail-back kits to earn shopping discounts. A specific partnership with 50 Goodwill Southern California locations successfully diverted over 30,000 pounds of footwear from potential disposal.
Timeline
The Old Crocs. New Life pilot program launched in late 2023.
The program expanded to Europe and Canada throughout 2025.
A partnership with Goodwill Southern California began in October 2025.
Operations reached Singapore and South Korea in April 2026.
A shoe stories collection campaign launched in August 2026.
Roadmap
This program aligns with broader industry efforts to transition away from linear consumption models where 1 billion pairs of shoes reach landfills annually. It positions the company within a growing field of retailers investing in material recovery to improve long-term supply chain viability.
Consumers can repurpose their old footwear while receiving coupons for future purchases. Participation requires either utilizing designated in-store drop-off boxes or requesting mail-back kits to ensure end-of-life products are handled responsibly.
The takeaway
Retailers are increasingly leveraging consumer loyalty programs to facilitate the collection of post-consumer waste. Households should check local in-store availability for drop-off options to take advantage of available discounts on new purchases.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest trends in the footwear industry by visiting our Accessories section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WWD.
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