A collection of shoes made with recycled plastic has been launched by the German sportswear brand Puma. This was done in collaboration with UK-Based waste management and recycling company First Mile. Apparel and footwear made of recycled yarn manufactured from waste plastic bottles will be sold by the co-branded sustainable line.
In a press statement, Stefan Seidel, head of corporate sustainability for Puma said, “The Puma and First Mile programme has diverted about 40 tonnes of plastic waste from landfills and oceans, just for the products made for 2020. This roughly translates into 19,80,286 plastic bottles being reused.”
Shorts, pants, tees and jackets are included in the training collection. “The apparel is made of at least 83% to even 100% from the sustainable yarn sourced from First Mile.” The online and offline collection have been rolled out simultaneously by Puma.
Mainstream brands have been improving their sustainability drive to capture the growing environmental-conscious customers. Adidas, the global footwear giant has been working with nonprofit Parley, to manufacture sneakers out of upcycled plastic waste, since 2016. It recently launched a biodegradable lifestyle shoe among its Originals line. It also created biodegradable tennis dresses for Wimbledon by partnering with fashion designer Stella McCartney.
Its subsidiary brand, Reebok, launched performance shoes a year ago. They were plant based shoes using eucalyptus, natural rubber and algae rather than using petroleum plastics.
According to market estimates, 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions are from the global fashion industry. Deadstock and textile waste are environmental hazards as they are left to rot in landfills.
Earlier in February, at an event by Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) fashion brands like Aditya Birla Fashion, Levi’s and Bestseller agrees to a five-point plan. They pledged to understand the environmental impact of their products and make their supply chain management by 2025.
