I had thrown away a pair of tattered sneakers years ago, thinking they’d be part of a playground. Singapore’s shoe recycling program, initiated in 2021 by Sport Singapore and Dow, sold the same fantasy: turning old shoes into running tracks and children’s parks. With a target of recycling 170,000 pairs per year from landfills, it was a game-changer. But the Reuters investigation found a stark reality many of the donated shoes wound up not in Singapore’s recycling facilities but in Indonesian second-hand shops. This experience affected me personally, shattering my confidence in environmental efforts. This is what I found out about the program’s ambitious vision, its startling reality, and the lessons it teaches to a sustainable future.
A Bold Vision for a Greener Singapore
In 2021, Dow, an American chemical titan, collaborated with the Singapore government, including Sport Singapore, to introduce an unprecedented program. The mission was ambitious: prevent 170,000 sets of shoes from entering Singapore’s sole landfill and incinerators annually by recycling them into rubber granules for sports surfaces. Collection bins, emblazoned with the slogan “Others see an old shoe.”. We see the future,” was seen in parks, schools, community clubs, and Decathlon shops throughout the 5.6 million-strong city-state. Promotional clips caught the fervor, with children such as student Zhang Youjia readily announcing, “I gave 15 pairs of shoes.” I was fully committed to it, envisioning my old sneakers leading the way to a more environmentally friendly Singapore. The public’s fervor was testament to faith in a scheme that delivered concrete, green-friendly outcomes.
Reuters’ Skeptical Eye
Reuters approached the initiative with a journalist’s healthy skepticism. Dow’s history of unfulfilled recycling promises criticized by groups like Greenpeace for promoting throwaway culture raised red flags. I’ve seen similar claims fizzle, like plastic-to-fuel projects that never materialized. Determined to verify the program’s claims, Reuters set out to track a donated shoe’s journey, ensuring it reached Singapore’s recycling facilities or became part of a playground. Their technique was clever: they embedded Bluetooth trackers in 11 sneakers, cutting out spaces in the bottoms and pairing them with a smartphone app to monitor them in real time. Between July 14 and September 9, 2022, these sneakers were deposited into Singapore’s waste bins, beginning with a blue Nike at a Decathlon outlet. Their digital trail defied expectations that followed.
A Journey Far from Home
The probe turned bizarre when the app indicated the blue Nikes departing Singapore, crossing into Batam, Indonesia, just 12 miles from the country. Alarmed, Reuters widened the test, monitoring 10 additional pairs. The results were eye-popping: 10 out of 11 pairs wound up in Indonesia, not Singapore’s recycling facilities. I imagined my own donated sneakers in a public market, far from the promised playgrounds. Reuters reporters flew, drove, and sailed to buy back three pairs. In December 2022, they discovered the blue Nikes and women’s black Nikes in Batam’s flea market Pert koan Cipta Prima, purchased back for $12 and $8. Pink and orange-colored New Balance kicks took an epic 800-mile trek from Batam to Jakarta through Bintan and Medan, purchased back after eight weeks for $20. The 11th set, white Reeboks, remained in Singapore but turned up at a housing project a mile from its container, presumably taken instead of recycled.
The Yok Impex Role
The monitors led to Yok Impex Pte Ltd, a second-hand goods exporter from Singapore employed by Alba-WH, an affiliated program, to pick up shoes. The procedure was simple: Yok Impex sent shoes to Alba-WH’s warehouse, then to B.T. Sports for grinding to granules. But 10 of the 11 monitored pairs ended up at Yok Impex’s plants and were exported to Indonesia. At Batam’s market, Reuters observed shoes in bags with Yok Impex’s dolphin logo. I went to a recycling container nearby after reading this, wondering if my donations ended the same way. When confronted, Yok Impex’s manager, Tony Tan, called it a “mistake,” blaming workers for mixing program shoes with export-bound footwear. The explanation felt weak how could such a systemic error go unnoticed?
Indonesia’s Waste Challenge
Indonesia’s role complicates the story. Since 2015, the country has banned used clothing imports to protect its textile industry and address health concerns. However, Reuters found a booming illegal market worth millions of dollars each year, according to Veri Anggrijono of Indonesia’s trade ministry. Raids confiscate goods, but the trade continues. For Indonesia, this flow aggravates its trash dilemma. Environmentalist Dharmesh Shah explained that much second-hand clothing is not salable, being burned in dumps or contaminating rivers and landfills. Discovering my gifts could be the cause of this debacle was demoralizing, only pointing out the unforeseen effects of well-intentioned initiatives.
Dow’s Reaction and Accountability
Reuters released their findings in January 2023, prompting an investigation with Sport Singapore, Decathlon, Standard Chartered, Alba-WH, and B.T. Sports. On February 22, Dow made Yok Impex’s expulsion from the program, effective March 1, and started searching for a new collector. They made a collective apology for “weaknesses in the process chain” and asserted that 10,000 kilograms of shoes had been recycled, with two venues Kallang Football Hub’s track and a Jurong Town project utilizing the material. Environmentalists such as Jan Dell were not convinced, describing Dow’s assurances as unreliable. A 2021 Reuters report revealed Dow’s unsuccessful plastic-to-fuel ventures, fuelling the doubts. I was conflicted: the vision of the program was compelling, but its shortcomings were glaring.
The Bigger Picture: Greenwashing Concerns
This tale is representative of a larger problem with recycling programs run by corporate America. A 2013 Journal of Consumer Psychology report indicates consumers purchase more when informed their products are recyclable, a boon for businesses like Dow. Organizations such as Greenpeace contend programs like these cover up the un-sustainability of consumer culture. The program’s 2022 “Most Sustainable Collaboration” award now rings hollow. I’ve started questioning green claims, wondering if my recycling efforts are just shifting waste elsewhere. The gap between promise and reality underscores the need for transparency in sustainability efforts.
The Power of Investigative Journalism
Reuters’ investigation, with its clever trackers and relentless pursuit, is a masterclass in accountability. It exposed a disconnect between the program’s goals and its execution, reminding me to look beyond glossy campaigns. The trust of the public, established on slogans and campaign promises, is brittle. Initiatives like this require strict monitoring to make sure donations don’t support black markets. For Singapore, an opportunity to restore faith by refining procedures. For me, a wake-up call to call for measurable outcomes and fund projects that produce tangible environmental benefit.
Going In the Right Direction
This is not a story about shoes this is about trust and accountability. Singapore’s initiative reached for the stars, but its failures indicate the intricacies of international waste management. I am wiser now, verifying where my donations are made and donating to open programs. Reuters’ efforts demonstrate the importance of journalism in corporate accountability. Towards a sustainable world, we need initiatives that equate promise with performance so our used sneakers really build a greener future.
