Sports Insight

12 • Sports Insight May/June 2019 synthetics for active sportswear as next gen- eration recycled products now rival "virgin" synthetics in price and performance. Textile supplier Unifi has been leading the way recycling more than 15 billion plastic bottles into its Repreve brand of recycled polyester over the past few years and tallying upwards of 70 brand partners in the active/ outdoor space including Patagonia, prAna and Volcom. Adidas, too, is at the forefront of recyclability in collaboration with the organization Parley for the Oceans. e new Adidas FutureCra. Loop is a 100 percent recyclable performance running shoe. e footwear can be returned to Adidas, broken down and reused to create new performance running shoes. An Earth Friendly Approach to "Dye" For Innovation around how to dye fabrics with an eye on the environmental impact is an area to watch, as the need for new and improved resource-saving dye methods become a priority. at's easy to understand when you consider, for example: 1.3 trillion gallons is the amount of water used each year for fabric dyeing alone, according to World Resources Institute. Already on track are firms like We aRe SpinDye that offer sustainable coloring process for polyester yarns with methods that use significantly less resources yet achieves excellent color performance, and ColorZen that advances an environmentally friendly solution to cotton dyeing. Looking ahead, fabric functionality derived from sustainable solutions is a critical trend to watch as it puts a modern planet-positive stamp on the old textile adage, "from dirt to shirt." n sportsinsightmag.com IN THE MARKET Top Textile Trends (continued) Adidas FutureCraft.Loop is the first running shoe made with materials that are completely recyclable. The process Unifi uses to make Repreve recycled polyester embeds textile performance properties like wicking, thermo- regulation and water resistance at the fiber level. Sustainability in the broadest sense is an umbrella term for meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In the world of textiles, sustainability takes shape in a wide variety of ways from developing eco-friendly materials and promoting local manufacturing to eliminating harmful chemical substances. Circularity is a new way of thinking about sustainability. When applied to textile and apparel manufacturing, circularity is a concept that levels up sustainable practices and products by emphasizing longevity, reuse, and recycling. Consider it nature's way of making apparel and footwear, using fabrics with the ability to circle round and around in a regenerative life cycle. Biodegradability is based on these principles of circularity and sustainability, and is currently ushering in some of the most innovative textiles being introduced to the market. Considered akin to the Holy Grail of product, these fabrications are developed specifically to decompose rather than pile up in landfills. Beyond the Buzzwords

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