Carnival Begins Donating Shoes Left Behind on Their Cruise Ships

Carnival Cruise Line has become the first cruise line to partner with Sneaker Impact, a company with a mission to keep used footwear out of landfills.

This new shoe recycling program is being launched on all Carnival cruise ships in the U.S. It allows guests and crew members to give unwanted shoes a second life.

Unclaimed shoes that have been left behind on Carnival ships, in addition to footwear donated by guests and crew members, are sent to Sneaker Impact’s facility in Miami, Florida.

The company has a proprietary sorting system that determines the most sustainable path for each pair of shoes.

For shoes that are still in good condition, they are sent to small business owners in developing countries who can sell the footwear. This helps them generate income while providing affordable shoes in areas where access may be limited.

For shoes that are in rough condition and can no longer be worn, Sneaker Impact will recycle them by separating and recovering materials that can be repurposed into products such as athletic surfaces, yoga mats, footwear components, and more.

Benton Lobo, vice president of compliance and environmental operations for Carnival, gave the following statement”

“We’re always looking for new ways to reduce waste and strengthen our sustainability efforts. In July, with just five of our ships offloading shoes, we kept more than 500 pairs out of landfills in a single month. Scaled across our full fleet, we see the potential to give new life to about 50,000 pairs of shoes. It’s proof that a small idea can add up to a real impact, both on board and in communities around the world.”

Moe Hachem, CEO of Sneaker Impact, added:

“Sneaker Impact is honored to partner with Carnival Cruise Line, as they share our commitment to sustainability and making a positive impact. Together, we’re making it easy for guests to give their unwanted footwear a second life through reuse and responsible recycling. We’re excited to see how many pairs of shoes, and lives, we can impact together.”

This partnership with Sneaker Impact is part of Carnival Corporation’s sustainability strategy that stretches across all eight of its cruise lines.