VIDEO: Nike creates better world for plastics recycling

Some of the world's biggest sports stars are raising awareness of how plastic bottles can be transformed into athletic performance clothing under Nike's latest football brand campaign.


Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez and basketball star LeBron James feature in a message about recycled football kits as part of Nike’s ‘My Time is Now’ film.

The film shows Hernandez dispatching a water bottle into a bin, which then begins its journey of transformation into a national team kit jersey.

Each step of the intricate manufacturing process is showed – plastic bottles are sorted, crushed and melted, refined into yarn, and converted to fabric, which is cut, dyed and stitched.

The process finishes with the addition of laser-cut ventilation holes, each team’s crest, and the Nike swoosh.

Made with at least 96% recycled polyester, each jersey is made using an average of seven plastic bottles, and each short is made using an average of six recycled plastic bottles–adding up to 13 plastic bottles per kit.

The recycling process saves raw materials and reduces energy consumption by an estimated 30% compared to manufacturing virgin polyester.

Since 2010, Nike Football has used an estimated 115 million recycled plastic bottles to create its high performance kits.

The film is part of Nike’s Better World initiative, which is a commitment to create superior athletic performance product with lower environmental impact for the planet.

Maxine Perella

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