Dear Recyclebank: Are Crocs Shoes Recyclable? –Jeff D.
Dear Jeff: Crocs brand shoes cannot be recycled curbside with other plastics.
The Crocs signature lightweight and contoured molds are achieved with Croslite™ — a proprietary polymer resin, which is a type of foam. While the material may provide water resistance and antimicrobial benefits, it is not considered biodegradable or recyclable.
The best way to recycle Croc shoes is to donate them to charitable organizations, or to reuse them around your home. Don’t put them in with your curbside recycle.
Launched in 2002, the Crocs, Inc. shoe brand has since sold over 300 million shoes worldwide. They are best known for their Classic Croc — a lightweight design that many swear by for shoe comfort. The average life expectancy for these shoes varies depending on wear. When you are ready to donate your Crocs shoes, look no further than the brand itself.
Crocs has teamed up with Soles 4 Souls (a nonprofit enterprise geared toward charitable distribution of shoes), and developed a donation program where people can place Crocs that are in good condition into a donation box found at participating Crocs retailers. The shoes are then cleaned and internationally shipped to people in need.
Additional donation drop-off ideas to keep Crocs out of landfills:
1. Community outreach programs
2. Local thrift stores
If you choose to reuse your Crocs around your home, you might start with converting them into full-time gardening or yard shoes. Otherwise consider reusing them as craft drawer organizers, or cute plant holders.
Regardless of how you recycle your Crocs, the simple act of donating or repurposing them will keep them out of a landfill for as long as possible. Just don’t put them in with your curbside recycle.
