From end-of-life sneakers to new community infrastructure: flooring, tiles, play areas, sports fields, and athletic tracks
Herning, Denmark — January 18, 2026 — The Municipality of Herning and ESO RECYCLING Danmark ApS announce the launch of esosport in Herning, the first municipal implementation of the project in Denmark. The initiative focuses on education, citizen participation, and local involvement, following a practical circular economy model: residents and students will be able to drop off end-of-life sports shoes and other sports materials and see them transformed into new useful products for the community.
esosport was founded in Italy in 2009 and has established itself as a proven municipal model. Today, the project is active in Italy with a network of institutional partners and currently serves 292 municipalities. Through dedicated collection systems and awareness-raising activities, the project intercepts sports materials that would otherwise become waste and transforms them into secondary raw materials for new applications.
From Italy to Denmark: ESO RECYCLING Danmark and the choice of Herning
Building on the success achieved in Italy, ESO RECYCLING established ESO RECYCLING Danmark ApS as a platform for the Nordic market. Herning was chosen as the project’s base for its strong industrial identity and historical link with textiles and manufacturing, as well as because the Municipality embraced the initiative as a concrete way to bring the circular economy into daily life.
A recycling plant is currently being planned in Herning, with the goal of serving the Nordic area. The initiative is conceived as a long-term development, in line with local values, regulatory frameworks, and environmental standards.
Herning: first Municipality in Denmark to implement esosport
The Municipality of Herning is the first in Denmark to launch esosport. Through the direct involvement of schools and the community, the initiative links daily actions to concrete results: a waste stream becomes a resource and the circular economy becomes visible and understandable.
The collected materials will be mechanically processed into granules and transformed into applications such as:
- rubber flooring and tiles for public spaces and sports areas
- safety surfaces for play areas and community gardens (referencing “Betty’s Gardens”)
- basketball and padel courts
- athletic tracks and other sports surfaces
European Twinning Project (ETP) for the environment
Herning is also part of the European Twinning Project (ETP) for the environment, a structured model of environmental twinning between municipalities in different countries. Coordinated by ESO RECYCLING, the ETP connects municipalities in Italy, Denmark, and Norway to develop joint initiatives on the circular economy, sustainability, environmental education, and urban innovation through concrete collaborations.
A landmark story in esosport: Betty’s Gardens and the GOGREEN Association
Within the esosport framework, “Betty’s Garden” is a flagship initiative dedicated to the memory of Elisabetta “Betty” Salvioni Meletiou, wife of Nicolas Meletiou, who passed away prematurely in 2011. Following her loss, Nicolas founded the GOGREEN Association to raise funds and create “Betty’s Gardens” throughout Italy, creating safe places to play in communities where children lacked adequate spaces. Since her passing, 32 “Betty’s Gardens” have been built.
Documented environmental impact: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
ESO RECYCLING’s circular model includes documenting environmental performance through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies. Where applicable, the company supports the quantification of CO2 equivalent emissions throughout the life cycle of products and services, providing transparent metrics that help municipalities, schools, and stakeholders understand the climate impact of circular choices.
Digital platform: www.esosport.dk (launching)
ESO RECYCLING Danmark ApS is launching the www.esosport.dk website as the project’s “digital home” in Denmark. The platform will offer clear explanations of the model and a user-friendly experience inspired by the Italian site, including a map of collection points and transparent reporting.
Through the platform, schools, gyms, and recreational sites hosting an ESObox (esosport RUN, TENNIS, and BIKE) will be able to:
- be listed as official collection points with up-to-date information
- monitor the quantities collected over time
- view the estimated CO2 savings linked to the volumes collected (where applicable)
- compete for visibility in a “Top 3” ranking based on quantities collected and impact
Statements
Municipality of Herning
“I Herning har vi strategisk fokus på at fremme genanvendelse og cirkulær økonomi særligt inden for tekstilområdet. Samarbejdet med esosport giver os mulighed for at genanvende en ny fraktion, der indtil nu har været affald. Samtidig betyder indsamlingen af sko på skolerne, at genanvendelsesdagsordenen bliver synlig og kan inspirere både børn og voksne.”
— Dorte West, Mayor of the Municipality of Herning (original text in Danish)
“In Herning, we have a strategic focus on promoting recycling and the circular economy, particularly in the textile sector. The collaboration with esosport gives us the opportunity to recycle a new fraction that until now was considered waste. At the same time, collecting shoes in schools makes the recycling agenda visible and can inspire both children and adults.”
— Dorte West, Mayor of the Municipality of Herning (Italian translation)
ESO RECYCLING Danmark ApS
“For municipalities, the circular economy must be practical and understandable. esosport offers a simple system that fits into daily structures—schools, collection points, and local facilities—while creating tangible results for the community. With Herning, we are starting this process in Denmark in a concrete, transparent, and scalable way.”
— Helga Loessl, Director, ESO RECYCLING Danmark ApS
ESO RECYCLING
“esosport transforms a simple gesture—bringing end-of-life sneakers to a collection point—into something concrete for the community. Herning is the first municipality in Denmark to embark on this journey with us, and our ambition is to make the circular economy visible: from waste to new flooring, tiles, play areas, sports fields, and athletic tracks. We are proud to bring a model that has already proven its value in Italy to a Nordic context, together with the Municipality of Herning.”
— Nicolas Meletiou, Managing Director, ESO RECYCLING
Pilot project data
- Involved: 23 schools and 7 sports facilities
- Collection points / ESOboxes installed: 30
- Materials collected: sports shoes; tennis balls; bicycle tires and inner tubes
- Pilot duration: 2 years
Who is ESO RECYCLING & esosport
ESO RECYCLING (founded in 2018) operates in the circular economy with a focus on the mechanical recycling of complex end-of-life materials from sports, workwear, and selected fashion sectors. Industrial recycling activities are carried out at the “Amato Cannara” production plant in Tolentino (Marche, Italy), dedicated to transforming end-of-life products into secondary raw materials. esosport is a project and brand developed within ESO RECYCLING, active since 2009, focused on giving new life to end-of-life sports materials through collection networks and circular transformation into new applications.
Press contacts
- Municipality of Herning (Press office):
- Ole Hansen — ole.hansen@herning.dk — +45 40 22 32 28
- ESO RECYCLING Danmark ApS:
- Helga Loessl — helga.loessl@esosrecycling.dk — +45 22 96 00 21
- ESO RECYCLING Società Benefit arl (Italy):
- Nunzia Vallozzi — ufficiostampa@eso.it — +39 391 480 8787