Everywhere Wearside runners can drop in unwanted trainers to help the JogOn recycling campaign keep more than ONE MILLION pairs of footwear out of landfill

Everyone Active, which runs Wearside’s leisure centres, has joined forces with the the JogOn recycling campaign to offer the service.

Together with Sunderland City Council, it will mean collection bins will be set up at seven sports locations in the city.

And organisers hope combined efforts across the country could mean it stops more than one million pairs of footwear ending up in landfill.

Tony Piedade, JogOn’s CEO, said: “This partnership with Everyone Active will prove a huge boost in our efforts to keep 1million pairs of running shoes from going to landfill.

“We know from trials that leisure centre users are very engaged in this type of initiative and we fully expect to see 60-70 pairs collected per centre, each month.

“With a push, this partnership alone could keep 100,000 pairs a year out of landfill.”

According to JogOn, it is estimated more than 30million pairs of shoes end up in landfill every year in the UK alone, while elsewhere in the world about three million people suffer from diseases affecting the soles of their feet.

The centres taking part in Sunderland where amateur athletes will be able to drop off their training shoes include:

*Sunderland Aquatic Centre

*The Raich Carter Sports Centre

*Houghton Sports and Wellness Centre

*Washington Leisure Centre

*Hetton Community Pool and Wellness Centre

*Silksworth Community Pool and Wellness Centre

*Silksworth Sports Complex and Ski Slope