Old Navy Turns Used Flip-Flops into Turf for U.S. Playgrounds

Starting today, Old Navy's making it a lot easier to reuse one hard-to-recycle item: flip-flops.

The clothing chain, with a , has partnered with the New Jersey-based recycling company TerraCycle to gather customers' unwanted flip-flops and turn them into turf for children's playgrounds across the country.

The recycling initiative runs today through May 21.

Lalit Patil, district manager for Old Navy's Cleveland market, said the company aims to teach children and adults about reusing and recycling, all while giving back to its customers.

"We appreciate people coming back to the store," Patil said. "We're giving them something in return."

To donate, just find a bin inside the Old Navy store, 3881 Medina Road
Fairlawn, and drop off your used flip-flops — brand, color and size do not matter.

The flip-flop program also will help keep waste out of local landfills, said Megan Yarnell, publicist for the company TerraCycle, in an email.

TerraCycle is an international upcycling and recycling company that encourages consumers to rethink waste and makes it easy to have a positive impact on the environment. 

Local Office Depot stores also took part in a similar initiative. The stores began April 17 collecting used pens, markers and mechanical pencils. Office Depot then gives customers a coupon toward a new Sanford product (Sanford makes Sharpie, Expo, PaperMate products).  

The used pens, markers and pencils will be sent to TerraCycle to be recycled into new office products like trash cans and desk organizers.

That program ends tomorrow.

How are you celebrating Earth Day? Tell us in the comments.