As people around the world make fitness a greater priority (even in the midst of the pandemic), sales of activewear are at an all time high, accounting for 40% of all online sales in 2020. But as we focus on making our bodies healthy, we’re damaging the planet’s health.
Athletic clothing is largely made of synthetic, plastic-based materials—such as polyester, nylon, and spandex—which have stretchy, moisture-wicking qualities. But the vast majority of these materials are made from oil and are actively contributing to climate change. Manufacturing polyester spews out 700 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year. And then, when you’re done with your workout gear, it will end up in a landfill where it will not biodegrade, but instead break into tiny particles called microplastics that end up in our food chain.
Over the past two years, the company has invested heavily in R&D to develop high-performing activewear materials that have low emissions. It’s come up with creative fiber blends that are made from 75% plant-based or recycled materials, which Allbirds used to create the Natural Run Collection for men and women. The collection includes leggings, bike shorts, looser running shorts (for men and women), tees, and a tank embedded with a bra. For transparency, Allbirds calculates the carbon footprint of each product and it includes it in a label—then the company offsets these emissions, making each item of clothing carbon-neutral.
I spent a month testing out these products to see how they would stand up to daily workouts. I was impressed by how well-fitting and high-performing they were. The leggings provided enough compression for high-impact workouts, but they weren’t overly constricting. I found myself wearing them all day. They looked and felt like all the other synthetic activewear in my closet, but they are actually made from a blend of eucalyptus fiber and merino wool that Allbirds developed in-house.
The looser pieces in the collection—the run short, tank, and tee—are all made with another of Allbird’s in-house blends of merino wool coupled with recycled polyester fibers. The wool is breathable and has thermoregulating properties, so these items are designed to keep you cool when your body temperature goes up. They’re also moisture wicking, and kept me dry when I started sweating.
Allbirds’ founders, Tim Brown and Joey Zwillinger, believe they are building a materials innovation company rather than a fashion label. They’re still best known for their debut product which launched in 2016: sneakers made from materials that aren’t commonly used in the footwear industry, like wool and Tencel. Allbirds laid out its game plan for the next five years in its 2020 Annual Report. The company is now focused on reversing climate change through better business practices. This means using renewable materials and ones grown through regenerative agriculture practices, which actively remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, and transitioning to renewable energy across its supply chain.
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