TFC take-back project advances in California: 30,525 lbs of footwear now with circular innovators

LOS ANGELES - Rezul -- Last October, consumers across L.A. brought used shoes, any brand and condition, to 50 participating Goodwill SoCal locations. Footwear in good, wearable condition was offered for sale through their existing resale stores and outlets. Shoes that were not sold were directed to sortation partner Homeboy Threads, a Los Angeles-based social enterprise, who sorted, studied, and prepared the shoes for processing, generating critical insights.

This marks the first multi-brand-led take-back initiative in the US industry to collectively advance pathways for recycling end-of-life footwear. TFC is bringing brands, circular innovators, social enterprises, and material processors together into a unified initiative, advancing shared infrastructure at a scale not previously realized by any single organization.

More on Rezul News

• Ecuador Freedom Launches First Scheduled Motorcycle Tour of Northern Peru's Lost Kingdoms
• Lineus Medical Completes Financial Restructuring with KMF Investments- Launching a New Era for SafeBreak
• Steve Eckhardt Earns GUILD Elite™ Recognition for Fifth Consecutive Year
• Neuro Recovery Institute Showcases Emerging Immersive Neuro-Rehabilitation Technology at Clinical Innovation Open House
• Community, Conservation & Waterwise Inspiration Bloom on June 6

Real solutions for recycling end-of-life footwear exist and are advancing fast. Yet the industry needs to develop a system that brings these approaches together at scale, making recovered materials accessible, affordable, and broadly available. This project is an initial step toward that future. The sorted footwear is being distributed to three material processing partners: FastFeetGrinded, Supercircle, and TerraCycle.

"We are learning from each step of the process to develop the business case that shows collective action is the right way to keep shoes circulating," said Dr. Yuly Fuentes-Medel, Executive Director of TFC. "We are data-focused, because we know those insights are key to building the infrastructure we need, starting with CA, and expanding beyond."

What makes this initiative a first of its kind is its collective approach, accepting post-consumer footwear of any brand and any condition, and following it through every step of the process. Every step is a learning opportunity, and every finding moves the industry one step closer to a future where every shoe keeps circulating.

More on Rezul News

• Industrial and systems engineers celebrate key leaders in the field at IISE Annual Conference
• Cosanostra Miami Rises as the Best Latin Nightclub in Miami in Under Two Years From its Opening
• CCHR Leader's 50-Year Fight for Psychiatric Drug Victims Gains National Momentum
• Author Releases 7-Day Screen Time Reset for Families as Teachers Worldwide Report Children "Struggling to Grasp Basic Concepts"
• Men's Health Month Begins with Record Proclamations, AP News Coverage, & National Momentum for Men's Health

Full press release: https://earthdna.org/2026/04/28/footwear-futures-project-moves-to-the-step/

About The Footwear Collective TFC is driving a collaborative approach to the footwear industry, dedicated to scoping, developing, and scaling circular solutions. As a membership organization with 11 leading footwear brands and retailers, including Altra, Brooks, Crocs, ECCO, New Balance, ON, Reformation, Steve Madden, Target, and Vans, we're reimagining the entire lifecycle of footwear—more at earthdna.org/home/the-footwear-collective.

About the Footwear Futures Project The Footwear Futures Project is the first initiative launched by TFC to evaluate and scale circular solutions for the footwear industry. Through on-the-ground partnerships, the project collects used footwear, keeps wearable pairs in circulation, and advances pathways for material recovery—more at footwearfuturesproject.org.