From end-of-life sports shoes to new community infrastructure: flooring, tiles, playgrounds, sports courts and athletics tracks
Herning, Denmark — 18 January 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 places education, citizen participation and local engagement at its core, following a practical circular-economy model: residents and students will be able to dispose of end-of-life sports shoes and other sports materials and see them transformed into new products for the community.
esosport was founded in Italy in 2009 and has since become a proven municipal model. Today, the project is active in Italy through 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 thanks to its strong industrial identity and its historical ties to textiles and manufacturing, as well as the municipality’s commitment to embracing the initiative as a concrete way to bring the circular economy into everyday life.
A recycling plant in Herning is currently in the planning phase, with the aim of serving the Nordic region. The initiative is designed as a long-term development, aligned with local values, regulatory frameworks and environmental standards.
Herning: the 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 local community, the initiative links everyday actions to tangible outcomes: a waste stream becomes a resource, and the circular economy becomes visible and understandable.
Collected materials will be mechanically processed into granules and transformed into applications such as:
- rubber flooring and tiles for public spaces and sports areas
- shock-absorbing surfaces for playgrounds and community gardens (references to “Betty’s Gardens”)
- basketball and padel courts
- athletics tracks and other sports surfaces
European Twinning Project (ETP) for the environment
Herning also participates in 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 circular economy, sustainability, environmental education and urban innovation through concrete collaborations.
From end-of-life sports shoes to new community infrastructure: flooring, tiles, playgrounds, sports courts and athletics tracks
- be listed as official collection points with up-to-date information
- monitor collected quantities over time
- view estimated CO? savings linked to collected volumes (where applicable)
- compete for visibility in a “Top 3” ranking based on collected quantities and impact
A reference story within 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, the wife of Nicolas Meletiou, who passed away prematurely in 2011. Following her loss, Nicolas founded the GOGREEN Association to raise funds and build “Betty’s Gardens” across Italy, creating safe community play spaces where children previously lacked adequate facilities. 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 CO?-equivalent emissions across 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 www.esosport.dk as the digital home of the project in Denmark. The platform will offer clear explanations of the model and a user-friendly experience inspired by the Italian website, 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 collected quantities over time
- view estimated CO? savings linked to collected volumes (where applicable)
- compete for visibility in a “Top 3” ranking based on collected quantities and impact
Statements
Municipality of Herning
“In Herning, we have a strategic focus on promoting recycling and the circular economy, particularly within the textile sector. The collaboration with esosport gives us the opportunity to recycle a new fraction that until now has been 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 (original statement in Danish)
ESO RECYCLING Danmark ApS
“For municipalities, the circular economy must be practical and easy to understand. esosport offers a simple system that integrates into everyday structures—schools, collection points and local facilities—while creating tangible results for the community. With Herning, we are launching 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 sports shoes 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, playgrounds, sports courts and athletics tracks. We are proud to bring to a Nordic context a model that has already proven its value in Italy, together with the Municipality of Herning.”
— Nicolas Meletiou, Managing Director, ESO RECYCLING
Pilot project data
- Participants: 23 schools and 7 sports facilities
- Collection points / ESObox installed: 30
- Materials collected: sports shoes; tennis balls; bicycle tyres and inner tubes
- Pilot duration: 2 years
About 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 facility 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 ApSHelga 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