Brits Could Save £283m with JJB Sports' Scrappage Scheme
JJB Sports has announced the launch of its trainer recycling initiative, the first ever scheme of its kind in the country. The new campaign encourages customers to bring in their unwanted sports shoes for recycling, in return for £5 off a new pair of footwear purchased at any JJB Sports store nationwide.
The new scheme is available at all its 238 stores across the UK, and is planned to run indefinitely.
Figures from the British Footwear Association show that in 2008 c. 587million pairs of shoes were exported to the UK; with 15% of these (c.59m pairs) classified as sports shoes. If every pair that arrived in the UK in 2008 was recycled via JJB's scheme in 2011, it would represent a total potential saving of £283,475,000.
JJB Sports is working alongside I:CO, the leading shoes and clothes recycling company, to deliver the scheme. All trainers that are brought to a JJB Sports store are collected by I:CO for refurbishment or recycling.
Trainers that can be refurbished are then sent to developing countries. For those that can't be refurbished, they are broken down, and the materials recovered go into other rubber-based products or to provide fuel to power their recycling plant. Any profit JJB Sports make from the recycling process is then donated to Whizz-Kidz, a UK based charity that provides disabled children with special wheelchairs and other mobility equipment they need to participate in sports.
Keith Jones, CEO of JJB Sports, comments: "We know our customers want a great deal on sports shoes - and they also tell us they don't want their old shoes to end up rotting in landfill sites. Our Footwear Recycle scheme provides great value with £5 off new boots and trainers, and helps shoppers to feel good, knowing their old shoes are being recycled and raising money for an amazing charity at the same time. ."
For more information on the new JJB Sports initiative, visit www.jjbsports.com