Nike
Nike is the company that references 'move to zero', as in, they strive for a carbon-neutral and waste-free manufacturing process to protect the future of sport. They manage to do this primarily through their choices of materials.
It all started in 2015. Nike sent us samples of unsellable stock and asked us to explore whether we could still make a great product out of it. At Wolkat, we were more than happy to accept that challenge.
Challenge
Except, it turned out not to be so simple in practice. It was extremely difficult because the shirts were 100% polyester and had already been made out of PET (recycled material). Therefore, it was important to research how we could develop the right type of yarn and fabric to produce a new, sustainable product. Over the years, we carried out several tests and made a number of samples that eventually led to this wonderful result: a bag made from what were first 15 PET bottles, then 2 T-shirts, and now a bag for sale through the Nike web shop as a “recycled Nike gift bag”. With this fine example, the circle is complete once again.
Aftermath
The initiative behind the bag was widely supported within the Nike organisation. As a result, Nike decided to continue its sustainability efforts by using the recycled fabric in several other products. Eventually, a Nike-designed shoe was created using Wolkat’s fabric. With this, Nike completed the circle.
We are proud of both examples and can’t wait to see what wonderful things the future has in store for us with this long-time partner!