Teva launches recycling program with TerraCycle

Footwear brand Teva has announced a new recycling program that allows customers to mail in their used sandals, diverting them from landfills.

The TevaForever program partners with TerraCycle, a US-based recycling company, to recycle pre-owned sandals at no cost to the customer, allowing the sandals to be turned into something new, reducing environmental impact, and keeping waste out of landfills.

Customers can visit Teva online to sign up and download a prepaid shipping label to mail in their sandals to TerraCycle. Once at the recycling center, the shoes will be cleaned and the materials separated. After the sandals have been broken down and processed, the new material will be used by manufacturers to build playgrounds, athletic fields, and track ground covers.

“The partnership with TerraCycle is a huge step forward in our ongoing commitment to minimize our brand’s environmental impact. The TevaForever recycling program gives our fans an easy way to join the cause, knowing we will give their sandals new life,” stated Anders Bergstrom, vice president, and general manager of Teva, in a release.

Furthering Teva’s sustainability efforts, the brand stated it had saved over 40.2 million plastic bottles from landfills in 2020 alone by creating shoe straps made from 100 percent of recycled plastic through a unique yarn called Repreve.

Teva stated its long-term vision is to work towards solutions to one day fully close the loop by recycling old Teva sandals into new ones.

Image: Teva