Sporting goods supplier Nike has joined the Ant Group’s Green Energy initiative and launched an official mini-program on the Alipay platform to encourage consumers to recycle worn-out shoes.
Chinese consumers can search Nike’s “Recycle-A-Shoe” initiative in the Alipay app and have worn-out Nike shoes picked up for recycling. The shoes are then disassembled and processed into sustainable sports pitches using Nike Grind technology.
Consumers receive virtual green energy points in Alipay Ant Forest, another program, for their shoe donation. These points can then be used to support tree planting, ecological restoration or biodiversity conservation projects.
“In China, Nike continues to strive towards its goal of ‘Move to Zero’ and encourages the public to participate in environmental protection. The innovative collaboration with Ant Group enables Nike’s Recycle-A-Shoe program to reach more consumers through digital solutions on the Alipay platform and integrate Nike’s sustainability efforts into daily life, demonstrating our long-term commitment Nike Greater China Vice President of Operations and Logistics Stanley Chang said in a statement.
Nike started the global “Recycle-A-Shoe” initiative 30 years ago. Since then, more than 30 million pairs of discarded shoes and over 54,400 tons of material from the shoe factory have been recycled and transformed into innovative sports products such as basketball courts, soccer fields, running tracks, yoga equipment and interior furnishings.
“With the increasing challenges posed by climate change, the private sector needs to encourage consumers to behave in a more environmentally friendly manner while also committing to reducing carbon emissions in business operations. We are excited to partner with Nike to promote low-carbon action and better protect the environment through innovative recycling solutions,” said Cheng Jiang, General Manager of Ant Group’s Social Purpose Department.
The green initiative Alipay Ant Forest was launched in 2016. It aims to encourage users to engage in low-carbon activities in their daily lives. Since its launch, the initiative has attracted over 650 million participants who can collect green energy points for low-carbon activities, such as cycling to work or paying utility bills online instead of offline.
The Ant Group’s Green Energy initiative, owned by China’s Alibaba Group, is open to brands that want to offer their customers more incentives to be eco-friendly. More than 500 brands are currently involved from various sectors such as travel, packaging and home appliances.