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28/06/2015

Nike & 8 recycled plastic bottles


(Image source: http://www.recyclingideas.com/design-tech/nikes-recycled-plastic-bottle-gear/, 28.06.2015)

It's always annoying when you think you've come up with a great idea, only to find out its already been done. Yet finding out that Nike are making all their football kits (shirts and shorts) from recycled polyester is definitely sweeter than bitter. Knowing this I quickly copped my teams away shirt for the 2014/2015 season (at a great sale price) and have been spending this lazy Sunday reliving my youth in the comfort of sportswear. 


Under the Nike Better World strategy, Nike uses recycled plastic bottles to create an innovative yarn, with the full football kit using around 13 bottles. If you think about the scale of football merchandise worldwide, this is a really exciting design strategy. I've read countless articles discussing the threat of plastic waste, particularly in the worlds oceans, and Nike using this 'waste' to produce is a great step in the right direction. This is reflected in similar projects from Adidas and G-Star 'Raw For The Oceans', which I'll aim to write about in a later post. 

It's very interesting to see Nike's brand strategy evolve since the 90s, when they were publicly maligned for child labour and sweat shops, to making corporate social responsibility a key value of their brand today (you can read more about that here and here). 

In the meantime, I can support my team, whilst also supporting a brand with a clear sustainable strategy at its core. Win win. 


Want to discuss further? Found any sustainable and ethical products and brands? Feel free to share in the comments box below. 


Sources: http://news.nike.com/news/nike-better-world, 2015.06.28
http://www.dw.com/en/adidas-nike-bolster-eco-claims-with-recycled-plastic/a-18406950, 28.06.2015
http://www.triplepundit.com/special/roi-of-sustainability/how-nike-embraced-csr-and-went-from-villain-to-hero/, 28.06.2015

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