Green Calculator: What Could Your Shoe Donation Save?
Every pair of shoes that is worn again, instead of thrown away and replaced, saves carbon and water. Tap what you’re giving below to see roughly what your shoe clear-out could save. Then book a free doorstep shoe collection and make it happen.
- Takes seconds
- Cautious estimates
- Free doorstep collection
Behind the numbers
How we work it out
The calculator does three simple things. It turns the shoes you’re giving into kilos, works out what wearing them again saves, and puts the answer into everyday terms.
We turn your shoes into kilos
Each pair counts at a typical weight. Chunky boots and wellies weigh more than sandals or slippers, so we count each type on its own. A full bag of shoes counts as 7.5 kg. Well-filled bags often weigh more, so this keeps the answer on the low side.
We work out what wearing them again saves
For every kilo of shoes worn again instead of made new, we estimate a saving of 3 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) and 2,500 litres of water. This is our own estimate, and it is the same figure we use across our shoe pages.
We put it into everyday terms
An average car gives off about 0.27 kg of CO2e a mile, according to UK government conversion factors. A bath takes about 80 litres of water, according to Waterwise. Distances between places are approximate road miles.
The weights we use
What each pair counts as
These are the weights the calculator uses for each choice. They are typical figures, not exact ones, because every pair is different.
- Full bag of shoes: 7.5 kg
- Pair of trainers: 0.8 kg
- Pair of boots: 1.5 kg
- Pair of heels: 0.6 kg
- Pair of sandals: 0.4 kg
- Pair of slippers: 0.3 kg
- Pair of wellies: 1.6 kg
- Pair of children’s shoes: 0.4 kg
A worked example. Say you give one full bag of shoes. That counts as 7.5 kg. Multiply by 3 and you get an estimated 22.5 kg of CO2e saved, about the same as driving an average car 83 miles. Multiply by 2,500 and you get an estimated 18,750 litres of water, enough for around 230 baths. A single pair of boots, at 1.5 kg, comes to an estimated 4.5 kg of CO2e and 3,750 litres of water.
What does CO2e mean?
Carbon dioxide equivalent. Making shoes releases several greenhouse gases. CO2e adds them up as the amount of carbon dioxide that would warm the planet by the same amount.
Why is the water figure so big?
A pair of shoes is made from many materials, such as leather, rubber, cotton canvas, foam and glue. Water is used at many stages, from growing and processing the materials to dyeing and finishing them. All of that is saved when a pair already made gets worn again.
Why “estimated”?
Every shoe is different, so no calculator can be exact. We would rather understate what you save than overstate it. That’s why we use cautious weights and call every result an estimate.
Make it count
How to make your saving bigger
- Give shoes that are clean, dry and wearable. They are the ones that get worn again.
- Keep shoes in pairs. Tie the laces together or put each pair in a small bag, so they stay together.
- Check the whole house: trainers under the bed, wellies in the shed, boots at the back of the wardrobe, slippers nobody wears.
- Don’t forget the children’s outgrown shoes. Many are hardly worn.
- Pack them in tied bags or boxes, so they stay dry on the doorstep.
Not sure what to include? See what shoes can I donate?, read the step-by-step guide on how to donate your shoes, or find out why reuse matters on how donating shoes helps the planet. When you’re ready, book a free collection.
Sources
- Savings per kilo: our own estimate of 3 kg of CO2e and 2,500 litres of water for each kilo of shoes reused instead of made new.
- Weights per pair: typical weights we use for each type of shoe, kept on the cautious side.
- Car emissions: UK government greenhouse gas conversion factors for company reporting (average car).
- Bath: Waterwise.
Ready to donate your shoes?
It’s free, you don’t need to be at home, and you choose the charity your donation supports.