Source: Earth911
The biodegradable sneaker rolled out as part of the InCycle line. Photo: Puma
Introducing recyclable and biodegradable clothing into your wardrobe might sometimes mean compromising quality, but the multinational sportswear purveyors at Puma have thought up a clever way to make their new sustainable line last.
InCycle, Puma’s new line officially set to launch for the spring/summer 2013 season, includes everything from sports shoes to track jackets and utilizes recycled materials, organic cotton and biodegradable polymers to bind fibers and make products last. Once your Puma item is seen its share of wear and tear, it can be fully recycled or reused by the company by placing it in the in-store “Bring Me Back” bins.
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The Bring Me Back program was designed to recycle and repurpose clothing, rather than overuse virgin resources. Non-Puma clothing can also be recycled through the program.
“We’re taking what would normally be trash, and breathing new life into your old sneakers, used t-shirts and last season’s tote,” the company says on its website. “By taking old clothes and re-using, re-cycling, or re-purposing them, we mitigate the amount of virgin material that would otherwise be used to make new products.”
PUMA's new Incycle Basket sneaker is biodegradable and can be composted over time. Photo: Ralf Rödel
After the company took a look at its 2010 Environmental Profit and Loss Account, it noted that 57 percent of its environmental impact was due to the use of virgin leather, cotton, rubber and more. The new manufacturing process of products such like the InCycle basket and InCycle t-shirt reduce environmental impact by 31 percent, the company says in a press release. The InCycle track jacket is made from 98 percent recycled polyester derived from PET bottles, including the zipper.
InCycle is the first line of clothing to be Cradle to Cradle certified, which aims to promote brands that pose no health risk to the consumer and manufacture quality products in a sustainable way.
