HOW MODERN SPORTSWEAR COMPANIES ARE GOING GREEN

During the year of 2018-2019, only 9% of the 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste was recycled in Australia with the rest going into landfills. The rise of the improper disposal of synthetic fibres in Australian oceans has urged many sportswear dealers to come up with innovative solutions like recycled activewear in Australia. They have come up with a plan to prioritise the use of recycled fabrics like nylon to be assimilated into the production for various sportswear for the gym, swimming or other activities.

The Threat of Non-biodegradable Plastic

With the use of synthetics in creating clothes, the harmful effects of such artificial components have never been more prominent until now. So instead of using virgin plastics, companies are now focusing on recycled materials to make sure that plastics disposed into oceans don’t pose a threat to marine life. Research into the development of plastic waste has estimated that as of 2020, the mass of all the plastic produced globally was more significant than the total biomass of the land and water organisms combined.

With plastic disrupting the life of oceans, leaking harmful toxins that affect the surrounding environment, unregulated plastic must be controlled and disposed of properly. It is in this situation where sportswear companies come into play, with the global sports apparel market generating around 181 billion U.S. dollars in revenue in 2019. Companies who deal with recycled activewear in Australia have found ingenious ways to convert plastic waste into durable athletic apparel.

Recycled Activewear and Their Production

Most sportswear companies hire fishers and other clean up services to procure resources such as waste bottles, plastic equipment, discarded nylon or other forms of plastic to be repurposed as fabric. This move ensures a proper clean up of plastic prone areas such as beaches, oceans, lakes and so on. Most plastics include plastic nets for fishing, plastic covers and bottles, microfibres, plastic polymers, polyesters, nylon fabric, among other things. Proper payment ensures that most of the waste is collected correctly and filtered for transport.

After being filtered and adequately separated from impurities and other compounds, the companies then take them into regeneration plants where they are spun into nylon “yarns”. The machines then process the yarn to form long fibres needed to create sportswear which bears a striking resemblance to qualities as that of the original virgin nylon yarns.

With the rise in demand for water sports and other forms of active sportswear for consumers, it is easier for sportswear companies to translate the benefits of such eco-friendly apparel without an increase in cost. Most of the recycled fabrics usually have lasting benefits compared to other original polymers. The initially discarded activewear are also broken down and woven to form materials that are of better quality, thereby increasing the efficiency of the product and reducing waste generation simultaneously.

With the looming threat of plastic waste to completely overrun marine ecosystems in the oceans by 2050, the time for action has never been more prevalent. Since most sportswear companies have struck a deal to create more eco-friendly and sustainable production methods, along with using recyclable materials in their products, it is now time for the consumers to do their part.

Consumers need to educate themselves on the adverse effects of plastic garbage in their environment. This action helps in promoting eco-friendly products to curb the growing contamination of plastic material in the oceans as well as our environment and ultimately, bring this generation a step closer towards saving the earth.