Nike's new refurbished sneaker program gives new life to old shoes

Nike is rolling out a new sustainability program to cut down on environmental waste from retail manufacturing.

The Nike Refurbished program gives shoppers the opportunity to give new life to previously purchased shoes.

Eligible products include returns or footwear that may have been found to have a small cosmetic flaw found through inspection, and will receive a refund if it falls within Nike's return policy.

Each pair of shoes is inspected and refurbished by hand, and then given a condition grade by Nike teammates before making its way to retail destinations.

The Nike Refurbished team uses a number of different cleaning products and tools to return shoes to as close to a new condition as possible with an aim to refurbish as much footwear as possible.

While some returned product is made available through Nike Refurbished, some is also donated through a community partner to create a second life for gently worn footwear.

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Additional eligible footwear that is deemed to truly have reached its end of useful life, is recycled into Nike's Nike Grind proprietary which is the company's global sustainability program that helps transform manufacturing scrap and end-of-life shoes into recycled materials.

Nike said in a statement, "It’s all part of our vision for a circular future — one where the concept of waste no longer exists."

The athletic apparel brand's return program is currently in 15 U.S. Nike stores with plans to expand throughout the year.