One of Retake’s objectives is to promote virtuous practices among citizens, including the proper disposal of waste, waste reduction and, consequently, the encouragement of reuse and recycling practices.

Responsible and virtuous recycling behaviors can significantly reduce the environmental impact of our consumption. Equally important are reuse practices, as goods that are still intact and functional, but discarded by their owners, can be used by others. This helps to move beyond the ‘throwaway culture’, which is environmentally unsustainable.

Within this framework, between 2018 and 2025, Retake launched in Rome the project ‘Reuse and Recycling of Used Sneakers’, aimed at raising awareness among both young people and adults about the importance of reuse and recycling. The project shows how even a discarded shoe can continue to have value: either by being reused by those in need, or by becoming secondary raw material for the construction of shock-absorbing surfaces for playgrounds or athletics tracks.

Over the course of the project, more than 10,000 pairs of sneakers in good condition were collected and donated to people in need, while more than 10 tons of worn-out sneakers were diverted from waste streams and recovered for rubber recycling. Using this ‘secondary raw material’, in 2021 a shock-absorbing surface was installed in the new Giardino di Betty in Rome, in the Corviale district.

Contact us: ricicloriuso@retakeroma.org