Re:Jersey is the name of Puma’s pilot project for the recycling of football jerseys. The aim is to turn old jerseys into new ones. Manchester City is already scheduled to receive its warm-up jerseys for league matches from the clothing recycling project by the end of April. The main component of the yarn used will then come from old jerseys.
The challenge of recycling jerseys is separating the actual shirt from emblems, logos, and other embroideries. With Re:Jersey, the textiles are broken down into their components by depolymerization, and then the colors are filtered out. In the next step, the material is reassembled. The resulting polyester is said to have the same characteristics as virgin polyester.
Puma’s football jerseys are already made with 100 percent recycled polyester. The jerseys created in the Re:Jersey process are made from 75 percent old football jerseys. Puma sources the remaining 25 percent from Seaqual® Marine Plastic.
As a matter of fact, football jerseys made of recycled polyester have already been a topic for some years. For example, Adidas, together with Parley for the Oceans, launched a jersey made from recycled ocean waste for FC Bayern München back in 2016. However, most manufacturers have not been as consistent in using recycled polyester as Puma is.
PlayerLayer has an innovative approach together with the Forest Green Rovers. The English fourth division club, known for its commitment to sustainability, has been playing in jerseys made from recycled plastic and old coffee grounds since 2021. Previously, the Rovers had played in jerseys made of bamboo.
