Nike (NKE 0.66%) wants U.S. athletes to put their best foot forward at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo this summer, so it's designing uniforms that are made out of recycled materials, including ground up sneakers.
Because the apparel company has put such a big emphasis on sustainability, it made a special effort to create fabrics and materials that could help it achieve its "Move to Zero" campaign to realize a zero carbon and waste footprint and tie in with changing consumer preferences.
Image source: Getty Images.
Everything old is new again
While the windbreaker jackets in the Nike 2020 Medal Stand collection are made from 100% recycled polyester and the Team USA pants are from 100% recycled nylon, drawcord tips, zipper pulls, Nike's Swoosh logo, and perhaps most prominently, the national team's logo, are all made with Nike Grind materials.
Nike Grind is the apparel company's signature recycling program that takes waste products from used water bottles to old sneakers and repurposes them into footwear, apparel, and surfaces that create the tracks, fields, and courts athletes play on. Nike says Grind materials are used in 71% of the company's footwear and apparel products.
In addition to the Olympic garb, Nike will launch a consumer collection of merchandise that is also sustainably made. Items will include a Windrunner jacket similar to the Team USA design, as well as sweat pants, shorts, t-shirts, and hoodies.
