Tiptree Road Runners donate trainers to JogOn scheme

Tiptree Road Runners are supporting a campaign called JogOn, which collects unwanted trainers with the aim of reducing the estimated 30 million than end up in landfill every year.

They will then be sent around the world to people who would benefit from them or they will be recycled into other objects.

The chairman of the running club, Mark Lawes, has got his Maldon-based company PME to pay for the postage of the shoe boxes.

So far, the club has donated three large boxes of trainers and they hope to continue to donate and persuade other running clubs to get involved.

A member of the running club, Julia Bawden set up and co-ordinated the shoe collection from the club.

Julia said: “I'm quite passionate about environmental issues and always keen to support any initiative that will reduce waste going to landfill.

“When I saw Essex-based running shop, Run Active, post that they were working with JogOn to remove one million pairs of running shoes from landfill, I thought it would be something that our running club could get involved in too as it fits with our aim of trying to be more sustainable, so I put the proposal forward.

READ MORE>>> All the fascinating heritage open days happening near you next weekend

“I knew that I had a few pairs of running shoes that I no longer used, but was reluctant to throw them away, so anticipated that my fellow club members would be the same and I was right.

“So far as a club we have collected about 100 pairs of shoes.

“It's brilliant to think that these will either be donated to suitable charities to enable others to use them or will be shredded and recycled.

“At the club's annual event in October, the Tiptree 10, which attracts at least 300 runners, we will also be having collection boxes so I'm hoping that we will be sending many more pairs off to JogOn and by promoting the initiative we're helping get the word out to other runners and clubs who hopefully will also join the cause.”