Nike leads way with plastic waste recycling programmes

Nike last month re-assessed its commitment to environmental issues in its FY 14/15 sustainability report. 

The sportswear manufacturer’s reuse-a-shoe and Nike Grind programmes has recycled the rubber, fibre and foam from worn-out shoes and other plastic waste for the past 20 years, creating quality materials that can be used for its own products and other sporting equipment.

To date Nike has transformed more than 30 million pairs of its trainers into sports courts, sports surfaces found in gyms, playgrounds and other products.

The company not only uses post-consumer waste, but also recycled polyester collected from high quantities of plastic bottles to produce Nike’s apparel and footwear.  As a result, 71 per cent of its footwear is made with materials recycled from its own manufacturing process and in 2015, the brand recovered 92 per cent of its refuse.

In addition, Nike uses an environment-friendly dyeing process called ColorDry that works without water, and does not need added chemicals. 

Nike, by pursuing zero-waste in its supply-chain and investing in technologies to drive 100 per cent renewable energy in its factories, proves that sports facilities and sportswear industries can contribute to environmental solutions.

Want to find out more about sustainability in the sports industry?  Download this infographic here: http://www.sustainableinnovationinsport.org/knowledge-centre/infographics/the-role-of-sustainability-in-sport-an-infographic