Uniforms with innovative materials for Teams USA, Finland, and Denmark at the most sustainable Olympic Games yet, Paris 2024 

The Circular Strategy of Paris 2024: The Greenest Games So Far

The Olympic torch has arrived in Paris, marking the commencement of the 2024 Games. 

In preparations for nations to unite and celebrate the shared love of sports, the Paris 2024 team has integrated a circular strategy and set a target to reduce CO₂ emissions associated with the Games by 50% compared to London 2012 and Rio 2016. These emissions include those linked to the Games organisation such as construction, furniture and transport. The approach to have sustainability at the forefront for Paris 2024, and be the most sustainable games yet, aligns with the sustainable legislation passed in France over the last ten years, such as the Anti-waste and Circular Economy Law (2020) and the Energy Transition for Green Growth Law (2015).

While the event itself has considered how best to implement sustainable practices, what of the uniforms and collections worn by the participating athletes?

Being the official Olympic outfitter is to create a uniform which will become synonymous with national identity and an opportunity to capture the essence of the Games. Which countries have incorporated the environmental goals of the Paris 2024 organisers into their official lines?

So far we have noted three.

The official Outfitters of Teams USA, Finland and Denmark have wrapped their teams in sustainable fibres for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Ralph Lauren and NFW Redefine Quality with Recycled Cotton for Team USA

You may have glimpsed the Ralph Lauren Olympic polos donned by Team USA over the weekend. Typically virgin cotton is used for Ralph Lauren polos, however, this collection is the brand’s first-ever 100% recycled cotton polo shirt. This may seem like a trivial switch, however, this is big news in the cotton world.

Typically recycling cotton requires a mechanical process which results in the breaking of longer fibres into shorter ones. These shorter fibres can easily be pulled and broken compromising the quality of the resulting cotton product compared to those made with longer fibres found in virgin cotton.

Ralph Lauren has partnered with its portfolio materials innovator company, NFW, which has developed a solution for this. NFW’s CLARUS® technology, which can be implemented in a mill through a plug-and-play system, welds together the short recycled cotton fibres, returning quality to the processed cotton. It is with this higher quality recycled cotton, that Team USA’s Villagewear collection polo shirts were made. By showcasing this polo on the Olympic stage, Ralph Lauren has demonstrated that high-quality, recycled cotton is achievable and ready for commercial scale.

Finland Goes Circular with Luhta Sportswear

Luhta Sportswear company, the official outfitters for Finland, have gone further than Ralph Lauren and Team USA in embracing the eco-conscious ethos for the Paris Games, considering the full life cycle of their collection.

Perhaps you spotted Team Finland’s wearing polos produced from sustainable raw materials, and trousers and shorts made from recycled fibres. 

Luhta Sportswear company has collaborated with material innovators, Spinnova and Pure Waste for this year’s Games.

Annamaria Väli-Klemelä (Sustainability Director, Luhta Sportswear Company) said “We [Luhta Sportswear Company] have set as one of our sustainability goals circular economy compliant collections by 2040. We are therefore particularly interested in material innovations that support this goal and work very closely with our material partners to find these.”

Finland-based Spinnova produces a unique fibre, SPINNOVA®, made from wood pulp, leather, and textile waste. In addition to the wood-based SPINNOVA® fibre, the Finnish Olympics polo shirt also includes cotton, and elastane.

In line with their goal to produce sustainable textiles and improve the textile industry as a whole, the company has successfully tested SPINNOVA® in the CIRCULOSE® recycling process. This process recycles textile waste into a new material that can re-enter the supply chain.

Tuomas Oijala (CEO, Spinnova) noted the importance of brand collaborations stating, “This is a showcase that our fibre can be used in different applications and use cases. As we have mentioned before, while Spinnova’s core is to sell and deliver fibre production technology, we will continue important brand collaborations to help the market find increasing use cases for our fibre and to show what it can do.” 

For sweatshirts, shorts and trousers, Luhta has partnered with Pure Waste for the collection. These garments include recycled fibres as Pure Waste makes use of textile waste that would otherwise end up in landfills. 

To fully close the loop Luhta has stated “We [Luhta Sportswear Company] also take responsibility for the entire life cycle of the Olympic clothing collection and help to extend the life of the collection’s products. Once the Olympic Games are over, we [Luhta Sportswear Company] will take back any items from the collection if the athlete wishes to dispose of them, and pass them on either to a charity or our recycling partner for appropriate professional treatment.”

Denmark’s Collection Embraces SPINNOVA® Technology

JACK & JONES and Vero Moda, the official outfitter for both the Olympic and Paralympic athletes, have also incorporated SPINNOVA® into their collections with three t-shirts that include the novel fibre.

“With this collection, we push ourselves to explore innovative materials with a lower environmental impact. Spinnova has proven to be a strong partner for us, and we wish to explore how we can increase the use of SPINNOVA® fibres in our garments,” said Allan Jung Thorbøll (International Buying Manager, JACK & JONES). BESTSELLER, the parent company of JACK & JONES, has been a long-term partner of Spinnova since 2020, with JACK & JONES having launched a pair of men’s trousers made with SPINNOVA® fibre in October 2022. The continuation of the partnership solidifies the company’s commitment to using materials that contribute to a circular economy and integrating sustainable practices in their product lines.

Will Paris 2024 Redefine the Views of Sustainable Sportswear?

The 2024 Games will feature collections from Denmark, Finland, and the USA that use innovative, eco-friendly fibres. This celebrates not only athletic excellence but also the possibilities of sustainable sportswear and fashion.

These collaborations on the international stage, of Paris 2024, demonstrate a significant shift in attitude towards a circular economy, highlighting the momentum the sustainability has gathered while also showcasing the potential for high-quality, scalable recycled materials.

The uniforms worn by athletes represent both national identity, and the advanced technology and progress that contribute to their success. Collaborations between material innovation and brands in this field can establish a new perspective to sustainable clothing, demonstrating that sustainable textiles can maintain high quality and performance, and even surpass traditional materials.