Nike Greater China has joined Ant Group’s Green Energy Initiative and launched an official mini-program on Alipay to encourage more Chinese consumers to recycle worn-out shoes. Consumers can search for the “Recycle-A-Shoe” mini-program on the Alipay app and have their old Nike shoes picked up. The shoes are then disassembled and reprocessed into sustainable sports courts using Nike’s Grind technology. In doing so, consumers earn virtual green energy points in the Alipay Ant Forest, a green mini program. These energy points can be used to support tree planting, ecological restoration or biodiversity conservation projects.
“In China, Nike continues to strive toward its goal of ‘Move to Zero’ and encourages the public to take part in environmental protection,” said Stanley Chang, VP of operations and logistics of Nike Greater China. “The innovative cooperation with Ant Group allows Nike’s Recycle-A-Shoe program to reach more consumers through digital solutions on the Alipay platform and incorporates Nike’s sustainability efforts into daily life, which is our long-term commitment.”
Nike says its global Recycle-A-Shoe program has been active for 30 years. More than 30 million pairs of worn-out shoes and more than 120 million pounds of shoe factory materials have been recycled and transformed into innovative sports products such as basketball courts, soccer fields, running tracks, yoga equipment and interior design.
Launched in 2016, Alipay Ant Forest is an eco-friendly initiative that encourages users to engage in low-carbon activities in their daily lives and has attracted over 650 million participants since its launch. Users can earn green energy points for low-carbon activities, such as biking to work or paying electricity bills online instead of offline.
Ant Group’s Green Energy Initiative, which gives green energy points in the Alipay Ant Forest, is open to brands that want to offer their customers more incentives to go green. As of August 2022, more than 500 brands from various industries, including travel, packaging, and home appliances, have participated in the initiative.
