The University of Manchester and RÆBURN Design, a sustainable fashion studio, have come together in a ground-breaking partnership to address the pressing issue of textile waste within the football industry.
Each year, the United Kingdom discards one million tonnes of textiles, with approximately 300,000 tonnes of this waste finding its way into landfills or being incinerated.
The fashion industry’s environmental impact is equally concerning, as certain estimates propose that as much as 10 per cent of the world’s CO2 emissions can be attributed to this sector.
The football industry significantly adds to this phenomenon, with an impressive 2.45 million Liverpool and 1.95 million Manchester United sports shirts sold worldwide in the year 2021 alone.
The latest endeavour to address this is KIT:BAG by RÆBURN, a collaborative effort with local sportswear suppliers and the community to creatively repurpose surplus football shirts into one-of-a-kind reusable tote bags. Moreover, the project will raise awareness about the environmental consequences of textile waste and educate individuals on ways to extend the longevity of their garments.
Its primary objective is to offer an enjoyable and responsible method of maintaining kits in circulation, all the while illuminating the vast-scale predicament prevalent in the industry.
According to Lindsay Pressdee, Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Fashion Marketing & Branding Communication at The University of Manchester, the fashion industry faces a crucial challenge in developing meaningful sustainable business models and encouraging responsible consumer behaviours. This pressing concern raises significant environmental issues that need to be addressed earnestly.
