Asics to recycle used clothing for Japan’s Olympic uniforms

Asics has announced plans to use recycled clothing to make the official
uniforms for the Japanese Olympic and Paralympic teams at the Tokyo 2020
Summer Olympics. The company hopes to gather approximately 30,000 items of
sportswear clothing by placing collection boxes in Asics’ stores, partner
retailers and sports events across Japan. Pieces from any brand will be
accepted until May 31, 2019.

The company said in a statement that the uniforms and shoes will contain
polyester fibers extracted from the donated clothing. Consumers will be
able to follow the recycling process via a dedicated newsletter to which
they will have access by scanning a barcode displayed on the collection
boxes.

Asics added that the initiative aims to “contribute to the realization
of a sustainable society in line the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and
its target to reduce CO2 emissions by 2030”.

It should be noted, however, that not all clothing can be recycled. Some
polyester blends are difficult, if not impossible to be recycled into new
clothing. “In some cases, it is technically possible, for example blends
with polyester and cotton. But it is still at the pilot level. The
challenge is to find processes that can be scaled up properly and we’re not
there yet”, said Karla Magruder, Board Member of Textile Exchange.

According to Asics, other recyclable materials extracted from the
clothing collected will be turned into fuel, among other uses.