Nike Builds Sustainable Playground in Hong Kong out of Recycled Shoes

In efforts to build for the future, Nike has partnered with Hong Kong community designer Kay Chan to create the athletic brand’s first multi-purpose sustainable playground using Nike Grind. The material consists of a circular composite made from recycled sports shoes, plastic bottles and production waste

Located at Man Kiu Association Primary School in Hong Kong’s Kowloon district, the innovative recycled playground was designed with the insights of children and aims to support their physical and emotional wellbeing, as part of Nike's Global Move to Zero vision.

The initiative seeks to foster positive play experiences for the school's 614 young athletes and make sports an environmentally friendly everyday habit.

In line with Nike's mission, the company believes in the power of motion to move the world forward, starting with engaging children to "move" and change the world.

The creation of the recycled playground is part of a larger initiative, as Nike recently highlighted its efforts in environmental, social and governance aspects in its 2022 Fiscal Year Impact Report.

The report reveals Nike has built 22 Nike Grind courts across Hong Kong and mainland China, including the Shilei Grind Stadium in Shek Lei Village in Kwai Chung, with more aims to construct 100 courts by 2030.

The Nike Grind program was born in the early '90s to repurpose end-of-life athletic shoes and prevent them from ending up in landfills. Over the past 30 years, it has expanded to include manufacturing scraps from footwear and apparel products, enabling large-scale recycling and reuse of materials globally.

Today, Nike Grind materials are used in various consumer products, from sport surfaces to carpet padding, and even dog toys.