Asics is incorporating recycled plastic bottles into its latest activewear collection.
Customers in North American can now shop five new women’s apparel styles made with Repreve’s RPET performance fiber.
The line, which includes a sports bra, capri pant, tight with pockets, biker short, and performance tight, is the result of a three-year recycled polyester testing process by Asics’ product development team. The capsule has contributed to diverting 200,000 plastic water bottles from landfills, Asics said. Each piece is made with six to 16 plastic bottles-worth of recycled plastic. The collection retails for $30-$65, and is available on the brand’s e-commerce site.
Asics North America global apparel and equipment creative director Mari Tibbets said collection is “a significant step for the Asics brand as we take meaningful action to address the environmental impact of our apparel, both now and into the future.”
Unifi CEO Eddie Ingle said that the Greensboro, N.C.-based fiber maker is committed to driving sustainable innovation by working with brands like Asics. “We are proud to partner with… an industry leader with a long legacy of prioritizing sustainability, to continue to support a more circular economy and create positive impact at scale,” he said.
The Repreve capsule advances Asics’ science-based reduction targets and mission to zero out its carbon emissions by 2050. It comes on the heels of the release of the Gel-Lyte III CM 1.95 sneaker, which emits the fewest CO2 emissions in the Asics footwear portfolio at 1.95kg of carbon per pair.
While Asics North America continued to see supply-chain related challenges through the summer that impacted its wholesale and retail channels, the company saw double-digit growth in core performance products during the second quarter. It also saw double-digit e-commerce growth, with a 64-percent increase in OneAsics reward program memberships, which give shoppers early access to exclusive products.