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

LOS ANGELES - EntSun -- 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 EntSun News

• Tropidelic Links Up With International Reggae Star Collie Buddz and Eli Mac for Feel-Good Breakthrough Single "Follow Your Nature"
• Save 15 Percent on Florida Keys Accommodations with KeysCaribbean's 'Advance Purchase Rate Discount'
• Zma/odflix Studio Announces Epic Fantasy Thriller Wizard Hunter 1: The Hunt For Evangelion Crowley
• Atelier 411 Studios and Columbus Fashion Council Present Red Carpet Experience at Gateway Film Center for The Devil Wears Prada 2
• Hazel E Celebrates Birthday with Luxury "Goddess" Yacht Experience in Marina del Rey

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 EntSun News

• Lecture/Performance on Jewish Magicians in Juneau on Tuesday, May 4, 2026
• Joseph Neibich sits down with Bold Jounrey (aka Joseph Nybyk)
• AI Suite 360 Launches Done-For-You AI Implementation to Rescue SMBs from the "Frankenstein Tax"
• Live Comedy Comedy Battle Mountain Thursday May 7
• CX Network Releases Report on the Best AI Support Tools for SaaS Companies 2026

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.