Sustainability in Tennis Apparel

It has taken several hundred years for tennis to evolve into the modern form it is today. Advances in technology have affected every aspect of the game from racquets, strings and balls - to shoes and clothing. Tennis is now an exciting sport with millions of people playing and even more fans on the sidelines.

Polyester has become a key player in performance tennis apparel. It is lightweight, durable, crease and stain resistant, and, perhaps most importantly in today’s fast-paced game, quick-drying. Until recently, most athletic clothing was made with virgin polyester. Virgin polyester is made from petroleum and according to Forbes, nearly 70 million barrels of oil per year are used in virgin polyester production. In the past few years, there has been a growing movement to make polyester more sustainable.

Did you know that the single-serve disposable water bottles we bring to the tennis courts are made from the same polyester material used in our tennis apparel? That’s where recycling comes into the picture. Recycling is one of the most effective ways to reduce the use of virgin polyester. When we recycle, we reduce the amount of plastic in our oceans and landfills. It is also the best way to leave more oil in the ground and utilize resources that exist already.

The process of recycling plastic bottles into polyester is mechanical – no additional chemicals are needed. Here’s how it works:

1. Bottles are collected, sorted and baled.
2. They are then cleaned and chopped into high quality flakes.
3. The flakes are then melted into small usable pellets called chips.
4. These chips are melted and extruded into fibers or yarn.
5. The recycled polyester yarn is then woven or knitted into sustainable fabrics that are made into performance apparel.

It takes between eight and nine plastic bottles to make enough recycled fabric for one shirt. As more and more companies embrace recycled polyester in their apparel, think about how much oil can stay in the ground and how much plastic can stay out of our oceans and landfills!

adidas

According to Ocean Conservancy, the equivalent of one garbage truck full of plastic per minute enters our oceans. That is on top of the estimated 150 million metric tons there already. We’ve all seen pictures of what this is doing to sea life and shorelines.

adidas has teamed up with Parley for the Oceans to help solve this growing problem. Marine plastic waste in coastal areas is collected by Parley and processed in the same manner as described above. It is made into high performance yarn (Parley Ocean Plastic TM) which is used to make adidas PrimeBlue products.

By the end of 2023, more than 96 percent of the polyester in adidas products was recycled. By 2024, adidas aims to make that 100 percent. To meet these goals, adidas has multiple initiatives. One is PrimeBlue, which uses Parley ocean plastics, and another is PrimeGreen, which features recycled plastics.

Nike's Move to Zero

Nike is developing sustainable innovation with its Move To Zero program. The end goal is zero carbon and zero waste. Nike is hoping to achieve this with a combination of recycling and refurbishing. Currently, recycled polyester is making up a larger percentage in its clothing. Nike Forward is a new collection made with recycled fiber layers that create an ultra-lightweight and warm material with an average 75 percent reduced carbon footprint.

The Nike Grind program is taking recycled shoes and manufacturing scrap and turning it into products such as tech accessories, gym flooring, carpet padding and outdoor court and playground surfaces. It is also being recycled back into certain shoe components.

Fila has joined the UN Global Compact and has made a commitment to minimize the environmental impact in its supply chain from product manufacturing and packaging to how it disposes of waste. The brand is now using recycled polyester in much of its new tennis and pickleball apparel.

Through its Green Leaf Standard initiative, New Balance is implementing sustainability goals for the year 2025. Polyester is its most utilized textile material and they are aiming for at least 50 percent recycled polyester in their clothing. New balance is also a member of Better Cotton and is committed to sourcing 100 percent preferred cotton by 2025.

Cutting its emissions in half by 2030 is only one way that Bjorn Borg is committed to the environment. They are also dedicated to offering nothing but sustainably sourced and long-lasting products. This includes manufacturing all their performance apparel with recycled polyester and polyamide and using organic cotton that supports the Better Cotton initiative.

How to Shop Sustainable Products at Tennis Warehouse

Many other companies are also starting to use more recycled content in their athletic clothing. Tennis Warehouse has taken the step to highlight these sustainable products on our site with a special icon.

The apparel featuring this icon is made from at least 75 percent recycled or renewable materials.