Puma launches sustainable collection with First Mile

Puma has teamed up with First Mile to launch a co-created sportswear collection made from recycled plastic, which goes beyond recycling as it also rooted in “social impact and human connection”.

The co-branded collection has been designed to help consumers perform their best during any workout and features shoes and apparel including T-shirts, shorts, jackets and leggings, which have been made from recycled yarn that is manufactured from plastic bottles collected in the First Mile people-focused network in Taiwan, Honduras, and Haiti.

The collaboration highlights the First Mile initiative, which supports micro-economies by creating sustainable jobs and reducing pollution. The collected plastic bottles are sorted, cleaned and shredded, before being transformed into yarn that is then used to make "products with purpose”.

Stefan Seidel, head of corporate sustainability for Puma said in a statement: “Even though one of the key benefits of this partnership is social impact, the Puma and First Mile program has diverted over 40 tonnes of plastic waste from landfills and oceans, just for the products made for 2020. This roughly translates into 1,980,286 plastic bottles being reused.

“The pieces from this co-branded training collection range from shoes, tees, shorts, pants and jackets—all the apparel is made of at least 83 percent to even 100 percent from the more sustainable yarn sourced from First Mile.”

The collaboration with First Mile is part of Puma’s commitment to reduce its environmental impact and live up to its code of being “Forever Better”.

Kelsey Halling, head of partnerships at First Mile, added: “We hope that whoever buys this collection feels good about this purchase, not just in terms of choosing something that uses sustainable material, but knowing that those entrepreneurs in the First Mile are being connected to this product because it’s their material going into it.

“The more we can connect that last mile with the first mile, the easier this sustainable movement will be able to continue.”

Images: courtesy of Puma