JogOn is a UK-wide campaign dedicated to reducing the number of running shoes that end up in landfill each year.
The campaign launched in April 2022 with the goal of removing one million pairs of running shoes and so far, it has collected approximately 15,000 pairs, with momentum still going strong, but now the campaign is calling on more support from industries.
It is estimated that a staggering 33 million pairs of running shoes end up in landfill each year, many of which remain usable and could benefit others.
In fact, of the 15,000 pairs of shoes donated to JogOn, only 6.9% were at the end of their life. Based on these numbers, so much more needs to be done and JogOn needs your help!
With the number of shoes collected growing at a rapid rate, JogOn needs more partners to help with the mission, to spread awareness and reduce that whopping 33 million pairs of yearly discarded trainers.
Tony Piedade, also known for founding Jogging Buddy, is one man, on one simple mission: to prolong the life of one asset.
The average pair of trainers take approximately 1,000 years to decompose; when considering the 33 million pairs of trainers that are contributing to landfill each and every year, the environmental impact is quite astounding.
JogOn is committed to raising awareness of the harmful effects and hopes with more help, a measurable difference can be made.
By harnessing the power of industry, business, and the general public, JogOn believes that collectively we can make a significant impact in reducing this waste.
JogOn’s process is simple: 97% of the running shoes that they receive are still in good enough condition to be re-used. These shoes are sent to charities that service end users, NGOs that run outreach programmes and micro-economies.
In the UK alone, the work that JogOn does has ensured that school children can continue doing sports in and out of school because they have trainers to wear.
Any shoes that have reached the end of their life cycle are taken care of through their Waste to Energy partner, that incinerates the waste to produce electricity as an alternative to landfill.
Partners include the first-ever with SportsShoes.com, as well as running brands such as On Running, ALTRA, HOKA, Start Fitness and Inov-8; approximately 256 leisure centres across the country from leading operators Everyone Active, Parkwood Leisure, and Places Leisure; 17 universities including Birmingham, Hertfordshire, Kings, UCL, Bristol; PR and Marketing agencies including Aspire PR and Limelight Sports; Running events companies including Run for All, Race Nation and Run legacy; Running coaching company, COOPAH; Iconic Luxury Hotels, libraries, schools, running clubs and more. From Canterbury to Edinburgh, Cardiff to Norwich, London to Brighton, Manchester, Bristol Sheffield and more, there is an abundance of options up and down the country to pledge your support at.
Furthermore, JogOn has made donating unwanted shoes as easy as nipping to the shops. Partnering with Courier Evri, members of the public can send in their shoes from anywhere in the UK for a set fee of £2.00 (for up to 15kgs of shoes, which equates to about 35 pairs) to JogOn’s HQ in West Sussex, where they are sorted and boxed.
When it comes to working in partnership, JogOn collection bins, made from recycled cardboard, at a cost of £43 each, are sent to locations that then position the bins (usually around three) in places with high footfall for visibility to encourage donations from visitors and staff alike. JogOn then asks that the collection bins are emptied and the running shoes placed into another box and sent to JogOn.
In recognition of Tony’s relentless contribution to making the world a better place, he has been awarded the Prime Minister’s daily Points of Light award.
This is a cross-party programme supported by all MPs which recognises every weekday an outstanding individual volunteer, charity leader or community champion for the positive change they are making for their community.
The Prime Minister has recognised Tony for his work founding ‘JogOn’. He is the UK’s 2055th recipient and the daily award winner for the 2nd June 2023.
Overall, with the support of industry, business, and the general public, JogOn can achieve so much more. Together, we can reduce the amount of waste produced by the running shoe industry and create a more sustainable future for all.
Join the JogOn movement today and help to make a difference!
To get involved and learn more about the campaign visit https://www.jogonagain.com/ or follow JogOn on Instagram at @jogonrecycle or on Facebook at JogOn.