Puma Launches Collection Made From Recycled Materials

• Puma released new products made partially using recycled materials. 
• Puma’s new Re:Collection will feature products like training shoes and tights.
• More clothing retailers are looking for ways to make their products more sustainable.

The athletic apparel manufacturer and retailer Puma launched a new product line that is focused on sustainability, with the items containing between 20 to 100% recycled materials. 

The products, which are part of Puma’s new Re:Collection, will be available for purchase later this year, the German-based retailer said in a news release. Puma said the collection will include items for its Sportstyle, Running and Training, and Motorsport categories, such as training footwear and tights, which will be made with recycled cotton and polyester.

One of the products in the line — the PWRFrame TR — is a high-performance training shoe that will be fashioned from at least 30% recycled material in the upper (the portion of the shoe that covers the foot). A pair of tights available in the collection will be made from at least 70% of recycled material, and Puma said the product would retain the same moisture-wicking characteristics as its existing products.

Puma said 75% of the company’s polyester usage would come from recycled sources by 2025 as part of the company’s Forever Better sustainability goals. 

Retailers and manufacturers in the athletic wear space have moved toward increasing the amount of recycled and sustainable materials used in their products as part of their efforts to reduce waste. These initiatives have included: 

Direct-to-consumer shoe retailer Allbirds this month announced its new Pacer collection, which features footwear from plastic-free and plant-based leather, according to Footwear News. Producing the footwear requires 88% less carbon than regular leather and 75% less carbon than synthetic leather, Allbirds said..

• As part of its own sustainability pledge, Adidas said it will swap virgin polyester for recycled polyester by 2024, and 90% of its products will contain a “sustainable material” by 2025. 
• H&M in August announced a new sportswear collection — H&M Move — that the retailer said was at present made using 85% recycled materials. H&M Group said it aimed to have 100% of materials either recycled or sourced in a more sustainable way by 2030.
• The Swiss sportswear brand On also this month released Cloudprime shoe, which is made using captured carbon monoxide emissions. The material, ethylene vinyl acetate foam, is used for the shoe’s midsole but could be used for other parts of shoes in the future, the company said.