Tata Steel inaugurated ‘ Feet First – Noamundi Footwear Upcycling Centre ‘ at Noamundi today. Poonam Chaudhary, spouse of Chanakya Chaudhary, vice president (raw materials), Tata Steel inaugurated it.

‘Feet First’ is a footwear upcycling centre, where people can donate discarded footwear in all shapes and sizes and the centre will refurbish footwear for sale at nominal price.  In a one of its kind initiative in collaboration with GreenSole and lions Club of Noamundi, Tata Steel is putting its best foot forward to carry forward its ‘Best Out of Waste’ initiative at Noamundi.

Speaking on the occasion, Chaudhary said: “A simple noble act can impact thousands of lives. ‘Feet First’ is a wonderful initiative by Tata Steel and GreenSole. This will not only create awareness on upcycling of discarded goods but will also make people of the community contribute towards a social cause.”

Built over an area of 1500 square feet, the centre houses dyes, clicking machine, sole patting machine, heating machine, grinding machines and sewing machines costing approximately Rs 28 lakhs. Around 1000 to 1500 footwear will be upcycled into slippers every month. Apart from upclycling footwear, the centre will provide skill development training to interested people in and around Noamundi. This initiative targets Sustainable Development Goal 8 of promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

GreenSole is a Mumbai based organisation which contributes to the social good, by creating a self-sustaining infrastructure that facilitates the provision of the basic necessity of footwear to everyone, forever, environmental good, by refurbishing discarded shoes with zero carbon footprint and economic good by giving employment to refurbish shoes.