Puma said it has produced millions of recycled football jerseys as part of its RE:FIBRE initiative as it continues to build on the 46,000 that were produced in 2023.
The brand explained its RE-FIBRE programme sees virgin polyester replaced with recycled polyester made with a minimum of 75% recycled textile waste in all its football first team replica kits for the 24/25 season, which includes jerseys for 35 clubs and those for the Euro and Copa América tournaments.
The brand is exploring diversified ways to recycle polyester – such as thermo-mechanical and chemical recycling techniques that are said to significantly increase the capacity to recycle textile waste.
Puma also seeks to reduce its reliance on plastic bottles to produce recycled polyester products.
Puma chief sourcing officer Anne-Laure Descours said: "RE:FIBRE gives football fans a tangible example of how Puma is working towards creating a Forever Better. Our wish is to have 100% of our polyester products created from textile waste. Rethinking how we produce and moving towards a more circular business model is important and RE:FIBRE is central to that."
In 2022 Puma said it was on track to reaching its goal of making nine out of ten products with better materials by 2025 and it continued to power 100% of its offices, stores and warehouses with renewable energy.
Puma second after H&M in leading recycled material conversations
Apparel company filings data shared by GlobalData suggest that Puma has the second-highest mentions of the keyword 'recycled materials' within the apparel and footwear industry. This places Puma second after the Swedish retailer H&M.
Other brands and companies that follow include LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, Hermes International and Kering.
The data also shows the uptake of recycled materials in the fashion industry is gaining momentum as brands and organisations recognise the need to address the environmental impact of the industry and work towards a more sustainable future.
Several initiatives and strategies are being implemented to integrate recycled materials into the fashion supply chain, for instance, recent discussions at the Global Fashion Summit saw fashion industry experts reveal both financial and practical solutions for adopting recycled materials across the fashion supply chain.
