006.
Plastic free
sportswear
sportswear
INSPIRATION
A SELECTION OF ALL THINGS THAT INSPIRE US
01.plastic free activewear
Plastic free sportswear
Before the rise of plastics in sportswear, people were using natural fibers like cotton, wool and linen as materials of choice during their workouts or competitions. While synthetic fibers were already around in the 1930’s, they only entered the sports market in the 50s and 60s. From windbreakers to spandex swimwear, they were being implemented everywhere. And not without its reasons. Plastic fabrics like nylon, polyester and spandex dry quickly are lightweight and can be produced cheap. Especially the stretch fibers became an integral part of sportswear, as they opened up a whole new area of training gear, such as leggings and cycling wear.
02.Plastic activewear
The problem with plastic activewear
While the advantages were clear, not much was known about the other side of the coin. What was the impact that all this plastic was having? Only in the late 90s and early 2000s was there a beginning in the research of the impact, fueled by concerns about the biodegradability of synthetics sportswear. If you throw it away, it doesn’t degrade in the environment, it is based on a limited resource of fossil fuels and also releases microplastics when its washed. These concerns have sparked the interest of many researchers to look deeper into the problems and solutions.
Fueled by environmental concerns about fossil fuels, there has been a push on recycled fibers. These, however, usually come in the form of rPet, which is just recycled plastic bottles. Not a great solution if you already have a working deposit system like we do in The Netherlands. This solution only pushes the problem to another industry, so the dependency on fossil fuels remains.
03.sustainable agriculture
04.Boldwill plant based
The future of sportswear
Enter a new wave; plastic free sportswear. While natural materials can’t compete with plastics when it comes to weight or drying quickly, they do have their advantages for both the athlete and the planet. Materials like hemp and lyocell are naturally odor-repellant, which not only means you smell less, but also decrease the amount of times you need to wash your sportswear, the first environmental benefit. Many people also have a sensitive skin, or hate the static energy that comes with plastic sportswear. Uncoated natural fibers can’t get static, so they are more comfortable to wear. In general they are also biodegradable and can be made using regenerative and healthy practices, such as organic cotton. To ensure good practices of natural fibers, you can check for certifications like GOTS and FSC.
What are the limitations of natural sportswear?
As mentioned, plastic has some benefits that are hard to replicate with natural fibers. In our experience, especially the weight and the ability to stretch is what limits natural fibers in sportswear. Creating leggings without elastane (or something similar) will make it so that it doesn’t retain its form at all, creating an inferior product. The same goes for socks and thermal layers.
Lately the focus has also been on chemicals that are used for enhancing performance in fabrics, like making it more waterproof, breathable or wrinkle free. While everything is made from chemicals, for these enhancements, harsh chemicals are used like BPA and PFAS. More and more research about the impact of these chemicals are coming out, which is a great thing. While these chemicals are mainly used for plastic sportswear, there are also products out there that are based on natural fibers, but are still coated with harsh chemicals, impacting both their biodegradability and the overall environmental impact.
Lately the focus has also been on chemicals that are used for enhancing performance in fabrics, like making it more waterproof, breathable or wrinkle free. While everything is made from chemicals, for these enhancements, harsh chemicals are used like BPA and PFAS. More and more research about the impact of these chemicals are coming out, which is a great thing. While these chemicals are mainly used for plastic sportswear, there are also products out there that are based on natural fibers, but are still coated with harsh chemicals, impacting both their biodegradability and the overall environmental impact.
Our approach
So what is our stance in all of this? While we do recognize that there are many limitations of the materials of natural origin, we still think it is important to only use plastic fibers where no other alternative is available. We can’t force anyone to not wear leggings for example, but we can show that for a regular sports t-shirt, you can do fine without adding elastane. While technologies evolve and more focus is set on the chemical side of products too, we feel like the basis for a healthier future is around the corner.
05.FSC certified forest