Puma turns old football jerseys into new
Puma is piloting a new production process called Re:Jersey where it uses existing football jerseys to produce new ones as it looks to pave the way for more circular production models in the future.
The initiative means that existing garments with logos, embroideries and club badges, which previously hindered efforts to turn old clothing into new, can now be used.
The process involves old garments being chemically broken down into their main components then colours being filtered out. This is followed by the material being chemically put back together to create a yarn that has the same performance characteristics as virgin polyester.
While Puma’s football kits on the market today are already made from 100% recycled polyester, Re:Jersey kits are produced with 75% repurposed football jerseys. The remaining 25% comes from Seaqual marine plastic.
Howard Williams, director of apparel technology at Puma, said: “With the Re:Jersey project, we wanted to develop ways to reduce our environmental impact, respect resources and reuse materials. The insights we gained with Re:Jersey will help us develop more circular products in the future.”
Products made through the project will be worn on-pitch during pre-match warm-ups by Puma clubs Manchester City, AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund and Olympique de Marseille. The teams will wear the jerseys ahead of their respective league fixtures in late April and May, starting with Manchester City against Watford on 23 April.
