With its new sustainability initiative, sports brand Puma is one step ahead of the competition in the field of upcycling clothing. The country has developed Re:fibre, a recycled textile material, and is using it to produce millions of football shirts, reports Creativebrief.
Re:fibre is made from at least 75% recycled materials, including recycled textiles and other waste materials, according to Creativebrief. Puma is trying to move away from the model of using plastic bottles to make polyester – instead, the company is trying new recycling techniques using heat and chemical methods.
Once the materials have been processed into new Re:fibre fabric, Puma will use it to produce replica jerseys of 35 Puma football clubs, Creativebrief reveals. Production will increase from 2023, when 46,000 jerseys will be made from recycled materials.
Upcycling is the ideal fate for discarded clothing that would otherwise likely slowly rot in a landfill. While many upcycling efforts are driven by individuals looking to save money and reduce their impact on the planet, it’s rare that a major brand gets involved and makes a difference.
Puma seems to be making a serious effort. According to Creativebrief, Anne-Laure Descours, Puma’s Chief Sourcing Officer, said: “Re:fibre gives (football) fans a tangible example of how Puma is working to create a Forever Better.”
And that’s just the beginning, according to Descours. “Our desire is to produce 100% of our polyester products from textile waste,” she continued. “It’s important to rethink the way we produce and move towards a more circular business model, and Re:fibre plays a central role in that.”
Puma also promoted the program at its flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City, where it held three upcycling workshops with experienced upcycler Andrew Burgess on extending the life of clothing.
The workshops also featured unique badges that Burgess had made from match-worn football uniforms, which visitors could purchase alongside full, signed uniforms, including those worn by England football star Jack Grealish and US national team captain Christian Pulisic.
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