How Global Retail Giant Nike is Taking Strides Towards Circularity

In the race towards sustainability, new ways of making fashion are needed. The data is alarming and shows that the current paradigm, based on compulsive throw-away, makes no sense. Every year, around 70 million tonnes of clothing are consumed worldwide and around 92 million tonnes of textile waste are generated annually. The good news is that the climate crisis has awakened the conscience of both consumers and companies, which have begun to review their entire production chain, from raw materials to resource use, to embrace greener practices. We need to revise the current regulatory framework to recognize natural capital as a valuable asset. In fact, the best long-term investment we can make is in nature, because climate stability and biodiversity are two sides of the same coin. The Importance of Materials The choice of materials is more than a selection of materials. It's about the method of manufacture. You can use the same yarn, for example, but am I designing in a way that minimizes waste? There are a lot of manufacturing considerations to take into account: What kind of glues are you using? What kind of stitching are you doing? Furthermore, “how can we recycle waste to create new materials?" asked Golnaz Armin, senior director of materials design at Nike. The white paper of Circularity: Guiding the Future of Design, was recently published by the sports brand as part of its sustainable commitment, in which it sets out new design guidelines to have a more positive impact on the environment. We can check the clothes labels to check for the use of recycled polyamide, Tencel Lyocell fibers, Better Cotton - to confirm this trend towards the responsible use of fabrics. This is a smart way for companies to respond to new consumer demands, reducing production costs and waste. According to Nike’s Design team - "Our recycled nylon is obtained from a wide variety of materials, such as used carpets and fishing nets. It is cleaned, sorted, and shredded into chips before undergoing mechanical or chemical recycling processes. This new recycled nylon yarn allows us to reduce our carbon footprint by up to 50% compared to virgin nylon.” In turn, the use of recycled polyester cuts carbon emissions by up to 30% and prevents 1 billion plastic bottles from ending up in the trash each year, while sustainable cotton, certified through the Better Cotton initiative, recycles 1.5 million pounds a year and ensures the health of the fields as well as the rights of farmers. Nike’s Circular Design Concept This new upcycling culture also demonstrates that sustainability is not at odds with the design. This year, many designers, forced by the restrictions of the pandemic, have pulled from the "" to configure their SS21 collections and turned upcycling into the aesthetic trend of the season. All the patchwork garments in Marni's collection were created from existing garments, Gabriella Hearst's collection contained 60% recycled pieces from her atelier, while Miu Miu announced the launch of Upcycled, a capsule collection composed of 80 dresses, remodeled from old garments and pieces found in vintage shops. But the possibilities of upcycling go beyond patchwork aesthetics. Firms such as Nike, which through the “Move to Zero” project is committed to reducing waste to zero, have managed to turn their own waste into real objects of desire. Trainers such as the futuristic Space Hippie - inspired by life on Mars and, consequently, the scarcity of resources - is an example of this. Every detail of its design implies a new life for the materials: 85% of the Flyknit fabric comes from recycled elements, such as bottles, T-shirts, or production leftovers; the cushioning system is a combination of leftovers and foam from the Vaporfly 4% shoes; and the soles, created with Crater Foam, are made of a mix of foams with 12% Nike Grind rubber. According to Nike, “The reduction of virgin materials reduces our carbon footprint and the granules of Nike Grind rubber create a unique texture and mix of colors in each model," indicating that when done properly sustainability can indeed be achieved on a large scale.