VIENNA, W.Va. - Old Navy stores and an international recycling company are teaming up to recycle old flip-flops into playground equipment.
Flip-flops can be dropped off at Old Navy, 830 Grand Central Ave., until 9 p.m. Saturday as part of a collaborative recycling effort between the retailer and Terracycle Inc., an international company that turns hard-to-recycle items into eco-friendly products.
The month-long campaign kicked off on Earth Day and will end Saturday.
Training store manager Alisa Baker said Old Navy flip-flops are a popular item in the spring and summer. The shoes are sold in every color of the rainbow.
"At the end of the season, a lot of people just toss their old, worn-out flip-flops in the trash," said Baker. "Now we have the opportunity to work with a company that can turn them into something useful, like playgrounds."
At the end of the drive, the flip-flops will be shipped to Terracycle, where the rubber component will be used to build four public playgrounds around the country.
"As a company, we really try to do all we can for the community and for the environment. The employees are really excited about being a part of something so different," Baker said.
Flip-flops can be dropped off in collection bins inside the Old Navy store.
"We've actually done pretty well so far. We're getting more flip-flops in every day," Baker said.
Founded in 2001, Terracycle aims to eliminate waste by converting previously un-recyclable waste into new materials and products, many of which are sold at major retailers, including Wal-Mart and Target.
