An English Premier League football club has unveiled its new environmentally-friendly home strip.

Acknowledging that the 1970s-themed design is close in style to that of previous strips, Arsenal – one of the most successful teams in the division – will soon start wearing new shirts manufactured using recovered bottles.

Up-to-the-minute technology is said to have been used in the shirts’ development, with recycled polyester sourced from as many as eight plastic water bottles per item of clothing. These bottles were found at landfill sites in Japan and Taiwan, prior to being melted-down and converted into fabric.

Recycled Football Shirt

According to shirt manufacturer, Nike, production of the recycled football shirt consumes 30 per cent less energy compared to more standard polyester manufacturing processes.

Arsenal is the first British club to incorporate recycled technologies into its clothing, but several teams participating in the 2010 World Cup have done similar: Holland, Brazil and Portugal among them.

Recycled Arsenal Shirts

In terms of specifics, the new recycled Arsenal shirts are described as 13 per cent lighter than their predecessors. They use Nike’s Dri-Fit fabric which aids in rapid moisture evaporation, meaning Arsenal players should be kept dryer than before. They also feature an array of ventilation sites and are more elastic than before.

Speaking at a media launch event held on 1 July, one player relayed his feelings on the new shirt. “The colours are very traditional, it feels nice and it's made from recycled plastic bottles so what more can you ask for?” winger Theo Walcott commented, adding: “It fits and feels nice, and that's the most important thing, I think it's important that you feel comfortable in it.”

The new Arsenal shirt will be available to purchase from 29 July onwards.

In related clothing news, a number of clothing retailers have recently started to add recycled clothing to their shelves: Sainsbury’s, Marks and Spencer and BHS among them.

In related World Cup news, meanwhile, Enviro News recently reported on how over 50 per cent of the teams taking part in the championship were involved in a CO2 offsetting scheme.

See also -

News:

Recycling in Europe: How did the UK Perform

Products and Services:

Companies supplying Recycling