Moving Towards Sustainability in the Sports Apparel and Activewear Industries

The fashion industry, while full of popular and revolutionary trends, is one of the top contributors to global pollution. The convenience and accessibility of online shopping and the appeal of innovative social media advertising are rapidly increasing consumer demand to a degree that is not environmentally sustainable long-term. Left unchecked, the fashion industry’s greenhouse gas emissions will increase by more than 50 percent by 2030. With this forecast looming, sustainable fashion is no longer a niche market—it has become the future, and the sports apparel and activewear industries are leading the way.

Fabrics that Unravel the Environment

Sports apparel and activewear make up a large part of the fashion industry, which as a whole is responsible for 10 percent of annual global carbon emissions and 20 percent of annual wastewater. 87 percent of total fiber input for clothing is incinerated or placed in a landfill each year. Nylon and polyester, non-biodegradable staple materials for activewear, release hundreds of thousands of plastic microfibers when laundered, with half a million tons ending up in oceans and harming marine life annually.

Cotton production is also incredibly destructive to the environment, requiring over 20,000 liters of water to produce just one kilogram of cotton (equivalent to the weight of one pair of jeans and one men's T-shirt). Toxic pesticides are also used to protect cotton crops.

Leather, meanwhile, frequently used to make athletic shoes and sports equipment, is produced in tanneries, which use toxic chemicals that pollute the air and water.

The Human Cost of Activewear

Much of sports apparel and activewear is sold by “fast fashion” brands, which often utilize cheap labor in offshore garment factories. Prioritizing development and profit, many of these garment factories operate under questionable and dangerous conditions. The accelerated rate of demand for new products exacerbates the problematic utilization of garment factories, in some cases with devastating consequences—as seen in the fatal 2013 Dhaka garment factory collapse, in which workers were ordered to report to work (under threat of lost wages) despite large cracks in the building that deemed occupance unsafe just prior to the collapse. Industrial pollution from offshore leather tanneries can pollute the air and drinking water, causing devastating health effects on workers and those living nearby, from skin diseases to respiratory conditions. 

Better Materials, Less Output

Today, smaller sports apparel and activewear brands are making strides toward sustainability by incorporating new fabrics into their products. Cellulose fibers are making headway as a biodegradable, plant-based alternative to synthetic fibers. Tencel, for example, is a cellulose fiber made from renewable raw material wood, and Pinatex is a byproduct of the pineapple industry. Bast fibers are made from plants like hemp, flax, and others, which consume less water and are hardier against pests and diseases, lessening the need for pesticides.   

On the mainstream, sports apparel giant Nike uses the most recycled polyester in the textile industry. From 2010-2018, the brand transformed 6.4 billion plastic water bottles into footwear and apparel. The brand also uses synthetic (or “vegan”) leather, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from cows used for real leather. Other mainstream clothing brands like Adidas, Everlane, Reebok and Converse also uitilize recycled plastic waste in their products.  

Rebuilding Fashion from the Ground Up

Much of what goes in to all apparel begins with plants: from the grass on which sheep and cows graze to provide wool and hide, to all the plants mentioned above used for cellulose-based fiber. But tillage, overgrazing, overfarming, and urban development deplete soil of its carbon, making it less effective at growing the crops essential for developing textiles. This is where carbon farming and regenerative farming come in: a variety of agricultural methods sequester carbon from the atmosphere and bring it back into the soil and crop roots. The rejuvenated soil yields more crops, which continue to remove carbon from the atmosphere while supplying the textile industry with the materials it needs. 

The North Face, the popular outdoor recreation company, is investing in carbon farming through its work with California livestock ranch Bare Ranch. The sheep on the ranch release carbon into the soil as they graze, while the brand uses their wool for its exclusive Cali Wool Collection. The North Face has offset carbon emissions equivalent to 800 cars per year from this practice. Other mainstream activewear brands like Patagonia are also getting behind regenerative fashion. It is a promising facet of the sustainable fashion movement that is mutually beneficial to both meeting consumer demand and helping reduce carbon emissions.

A More Sustainable and Ethical Future in Sight

There is still much to be done to repair the environmental and ethical problems rife in the fashion and textile industries, but the collective work toward sustainability of fashion brands worldwide is a promising step in the right direction. Social media advertising allows brands to share their sustainability efforts in engaging ways, in turn making consumers more invested and aware of where their products come from and what they are made of. As consumers make better informed decisions on what brands to buy from, this will gradually raise the sustainability and ethics standards of the sports apparel and activewear industry—and the fashion industry as a whole.

Sports and Entertainment Marketing in the Age of COVID-19

Whether or not you are a sports fan, you encounter sports marketing on a regular basis even if you might not realize it. The massive sports market is what drives everything from sports teams, live sporting events, fitness and recreation centers, athletic apparel, and more. In 2018, the North American sports market was worth over $71 billion, and is projected to be worth $83.1 billion by 2023. Sports marketing falls under the even bigger umbrella of entertainment and media marketing, which is valued at over $720 billion dollars in 2020.

Everything we enjoy about sports and entertainment is being challenged by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. These industries are losing revenue fast, with ESPN reporting that sports leagues will lose $12 billion due to COVID-19 cancellations. To stay afloat, sports and entertainment marketing industries now must come up with new ways to be managed.

Sports Return…with “Fans”

Sports teams have made the difficult decision to resume their sporting events without the live presence of the very people who make sports worth playing—the fans. Some sports organizations have found workarounds for this that still engage the fans. In Germany, soccer fans can purchase a cardboard cutout likeness of themselves for around $20 and have them “sit” in the stands. This way, they can take the perfect picture and still experience the possibility of being seen by their favorite players and showing up on TV.

Bringing the Stadium to Your Home—and the Palm of Your Hand

With millions of sports fans confined to their homes during quarantine, online sports (or “eSports”) has seen a huge boom. The streaming platform Twitch reported a 75% increase to 2 billion hours of gameplay in March 2020. Major sports leagues and sports media have jumped on the eSports bandwagon, with star athletes like NASCAR racer Dale Earnhardt Jr. competing in online races. Even the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks played out their originally scheduled NBA game on Twitch. Music and movie stars have made appearances on streaming platforms too, joining pro athletes for a massive Call of Duty game for charity. This is allowing fans to interact with their favorite celebrities on a new, more personal level.

A New Normal Going Forward

The devastation of COVID-19 has brought everyone together regardless of income, celebrity status, or walk of life. Marketing industries are now personally connected with their consumers to an unprecedented degree as we embrace the value of community during this difficult time. The changes these industries are making to adapt to this new normal don’t just have financial stability and revenue in mind—it is a chance to appeal to consumers in a way that celebrates their worth and the resilience of the human spirit in times of trouble.