Nike Inc.’s self-described “manufacturing revolution” is now available to the masses in polo form. The company unveiled the ColorDry Polo, which attains its saturated hues through ColorDry technology, Nike’s dyeing process that uses recycled CO2 to infuse fabric with intense color instead of water.
Traditional dyeing techniques require 30 liters of water to dye a T-shirt, the company noted. The technology is also said to save energy use by approximately 60 percent and eliminate the need for added chemicals in the fabric dyeing process.
True to the brand’s performance roots, the ColorDry Polo features Nike Dri-FIT mesh to draw sweat away from the body and comes in six classic team colors. Polos retail for $90 and is currently available on Nike.com and in select Nike retail stores.
The men’s ColorDry polo marks the first time Nike has produced products for consumers using the innovative dyeing technology. The process was introduced to investors in late 2013 following the athletic brand’s announcement that it had taken a strategic stake in the Dutch start-up, DyeCoo Textile Systems B.V., which developed the water saving technology.
Mike Yonker, Nike’s vice president of product innovation, said the company is excited about the potential of scaling ColorDry and applying waterless dyeing technology across other materials.
The waterless dying process is combined with another one of Nike’s substantiality initiatives, recycled polyester. The 100 percent recycled polyester polo is comprised of polyester manufacturing scraps and recycled plastic bottles that are washed, chopped into flakes and are melted down to produce fine yarn. Since 2010, Nike has saved almost two billion bottles from landfills, enough to cover over 3,500 full-sized soccer fields.
