Circular economy in the sporting goods industry

Highlights

Better Cotton bales, Mehmet Kızılkaya Tekstil.

Textile recycling: The next challenge is scaling up

2026-10-13T08:25:00+01:00

“The industry is caught in a supply-demand deadlock”

2026-10-11T14:14:00+01:00

Textile recycling: The next challenge is scaling up
“The industry is caught in a supply-demand deadlock”

Latest on Circular Economy

Circular sportswear: matching construction to recovery
2026-10-13T07:26:00+01:00By Claudia Trabalski
Designing sportswear for a circular economy includes deciding who prepares garments for recycling. LaMunt asks owners to remove zips and trims; Arc’teryx assigns disassembly to ReBIRD.
Richard Kuchinsky: ‘A sustainable shoe must be a good shoe first, sustainable second’
2025-10-21T12:04:00+01:00By Susa Schreiner
Leading footwear designers reveal the complex trade-offs between sustainability and performance in running shoes.
Circular design thinking: Design beats disposal
2022-11-07T11:21:00+00:00By Susanne Kern
What can replace a business-centered design approach, with repairable products that last longer, are recyclable and still create value?

Industry benchmark · Circular Fashion Index 2026

Circular activity is widespread. Deep implementation is rare.

Kearney's assessment of 241 brands across 21 countries includes sports and outdoor alongside other fashion categories.

3.7 / 10

Average index score

The 2026 benchmark assesses circular practices across nine dimensions of the product life cycle.

73–84%

Moderate activation

Share of brands at this level across key dimensions, according to Kearney.

3–7%

Extensive implementation

Share of brands reaching this level across core primary-market dimensions.

The percentage ranges vary by dimension; they are not parts of one total. These are assessments of brand practices, not shares of products recycled. The benchmark covers fashion categories and is not a sporting-goods-only survey.

Source: Kearney, Circular Fashion Index 2026 findings, published September 2026. Explore the report.

Repair

Right to repair is law, but what’s a fair price?
2026-07-30T15:18:00+01:00By Valentina Giannella
The EU Right to Repair Directive is now German law; refurbished marketplace Refurbed says spare-part pricing rules are still missing.
Care & Repair as a tool for more sustainability, durability and customer loyalty
2024-10-21T15:37:00+01:00By Regina Henkel
For a long time, product repair was not part of the service offering of many brands. But this has changed dramatically. It has also proven to be an excellent customer loyalty tool. Learn how different brand approaches lead to success.
The EU’s new right to repair
2024-05-12T17:19:00+01:00By SGI Europe Editorial Team
On April 23, after about two years of negotiation, the EU adopted a directive establishing common rules for the right to repair. Member states must be compliant with the directive within 24 months of its entry into force.
DIY repairs: 12 brands making repairs easy
2023-11-06T13:01:00+00:00By Victoria Woollven
Our listicle highlights the outdoor and sporting brands and retailers who are already helping consumers repair their own outdoor gear at home.
How the GORE-TEX brand wants to extend the life of its products
2023-10-16T08:34:00+01:00Sponsored by GORE-TEX
Our interview explores Gore’s commitment to extending product life, consumer education campaigns, and the newly launched GORE-TEX Gear Tour.
Repair: Challenges that brands face on their road to repair
2023-10-16T08:26:00+01:00By Will Renwick
Consumers and legislation are demanding a right to repair, but it’s not so simple for brands. We look at how some are overcoming the challenges.

Resale

Tersus CEO Whitcomb: resale runs on economics, not mandates
2026-06-16T14:27:00+01:00By Valentina Giannella
Peter Whitcomb on why brands now come to Tersus with their CFO, not their sustainability tea
Second-hand: From sustainability paradox to business case
2025-10-02T06:09:00+01:00By Fredrik Ekström
Resale is moving from niche to growth engine. Fredrik Ekström explores how second-hand is becoming a business case.
How to price for resale: Insights from Globetrotter and 2nd Peak
2023-10-16T08:33:00+01:00By Anne Zeller
Two different retailers share insights into how they approach the pricing of pre-loved items, with tips for any brand thinking of adopting resale.
Secondhand: The balance of pricing between buying and selling
2023-10-16T07:00:00+01:00By Regina Henkel
The secondhand retailer must balance seller and buyer when it comes to pricing. Reverse.Supply CEO explains how they find the right price.
When it comes to resale, the price is right
2023-10-16T08:28:00+01:00By Anne Zeller
Pricing expert Robert Tinterov discusses the difficulties and opportunities of pricing goods for resale in the sports industry.
Fit for second life: 7 ways brands can extend the life of children’s clothing
2023-10-16T08:39:00+01:00By Regina Henkel
Seven ways brands can make kid’s clothes last longer (and utilize the growth potential and income streams of the circular economy too)

Company case study · Oberalp

Repair grew while Second Life volumes fell

Oberalp's reported programme volumes moved in different directions between 2024 and 2025.

Repairs

+19% reported year-on-year change

2024 3,104

2025 3,705

Second Life

−20% reported year-on-year change

2024 2,064

2025 1,650

Reported counts; both charts use a 0–4,000 scale. Percentage changes are rounded as reported by Oberalp. Second Life involves returning, refurbishing and reselling used Salewa products. These programme volumes do not establish revenue, profitability or an industry-wide trend.

Source: Oberalp, Contribute 2025, p. 98.

Rental

Rental Revolution: Advantages, challenges, and the road ahead
2023-10-16T08:27:00+01:00By Will Renwick
Is your business ready for rentals? We look at how to overcome common concerns and obstacles and access the potential $700 billion rental market
Circular economy: Rental is a business model for now and the future
2023-02-02T15:47:00+00:00By Amy Rauen
Good for the environment and the bottom line. Sounds good in theory, but what does this mean in practice? We explain the whys and hows
This is Rentle, the Finnish pioneer in rental platforms now cooperating with Decathlon
2023-04-20T07:31:00+01:00By Thea Ekholm
Decathlon UK launched its rental service with Rentle in the spring of ’23. We explore the benefits of partnering with a rental platform specialist.

0.76%

of global fibre production came from textile-to-textile recycling

Share of fibre production in 2025.

97%

of recycled polyester came from plastic bottles

Plastic bottles dominated recycled polyester feedstock in 2025.

139mtonnes

of fibres produced globally in 2025

Up from 132 million tonnes in 2024.

Source: Textile Exchange, Materials Market Report 2026
Published 22 September 2026 · Global fibre market · Data year 2025

Scope: All textile end uses; broader than sporting goods. The percentages have different denominators. The 0.76% figure measures production, rather than the share of discarded garments recycled.

Recycle

Textile recycling: The next challenge is scaling up
2026-10-13T08:25:00+01:00By Regina Henkel
In recent years, the textile recycling industry has focused primarily on technological development.
“The industry is caught in a supply-demand deadlock”
2026-10-11T14:14:00+01:00By Regina Henkel
Evan Wiener, senior advisor at ReHubs, explains what brands can do to advance the circular economy beyond pilot projects.
Textile waste handling: the invisible part of global circular supply chains
2022-11-24T14:10:00+00:00By Nin Castle
It’s no secret that waste represents a huge problem in the apparel industry, but what if we think of this instead as an untapped resource?

Re:Thinking Business Resources

PPWR: blessing or curse for sporting goods industry?
2026-09-03T12:10:00+01:00By Dr. Jochen M. Schaefer
WFSGI and FESI legal counsel Dr. Jochen M. Schaefer asks whether Brussels’ packaging overhaul helps or harms the industry.
EU destruction ban: five moves to make
2026-07-23T09:18:00+01:00By Sebastien Willefert
Large brands are in scope now. Mid-sized brands have until July 2030. The prize is what they do with those four years.
Circular Economy: a comprehensive link collection
2022-11-07T11:15:00+00:00By Victoria Woollven
Beat the circularity information overload and start your sustainable journey as a brand, supplier, manufacturer and retailer. We’ve collected the most useful links and resources.

Rethinkers

Patagonia’s Re:Thinking: How circular is one of the most ambitious outdoor brands?
2023-10-16T10:22:00+01:00By Claudia Klingelhöfer
Often held up as one of the best examples of sustainable business in the outdoor industry, we look at how Patagonia is incorporating circularity.
Mario Stucki: “Dimpora makes a membrane in a way no one else does”
2023-06-20T07:42:00+01:00By Anne Zeller
A membrane that is waterproof, windproof, breathable, PFAS-free, biodegradable and recyclable. The science is already here. Dimpora’s CEO explains.
Fabian Nendza: “We see ourselves as pioneers”
2022-11-07T11:19:00+00:00By Susanne Kern
Can a retailer play a role in the circular economy? Through customer dialog and guidance, Globetrotter aims to do just that.
Anne-Laure Descours: “We’re committed to making it better”
2022-11-08T10:01:00+00:00By Claudia Klingelhöfer
Puma’s Anne-Laure Descours is honest and optimistic about what needs to change. Read her interview on circularity in the apparel business.
Forward to nature*…or how to design a successful future for all
2022-11-07T11:18:00+00:00By Cira Riedel
What would a truly circular world look like? GreenroomVoice explores how imagining such a world shows us the action needed to get there.
Daring to think de-growth in the textile industry
2022-11-07T11:16:00+00:00By Charles Ross
Over-consumption can’t go on, but does de-growth have to equal financial losses in the textile industry? Charles Ross explores alternatives.

Impact of Sports

How can the sporting goods industry help more people become active? Explore the evidence on participation and the industry's social and economic impact, alongside the organisations working to widen access to sport.

EXPLORE IMPACT OF SPORTS

CSR in the sporting goods industry

How sporting goods companies respond to changing expectations around corporate responsibility. Explore reporting and interviews on sustainability, regulation, consumer trust and the industry's social impact.

EXPLORE THE CSR SPECIAL