Sustainability
Sustainable Sportswear: Our Recycled Fabric Initiative
Sustainability in sportswear is no longer a marketing angle — it is a sourcing requirement. Retail buyers increasingly face internal ESG targets, and consumers increasingly check labels before they check prices. Since 2024, our R&D team has worked with certified mills to scale a recycled fabric programme that now covers GRS-certified recycled polyester and nylon across our core performance categories.
The numbers behind the claim
Switching a standard running tee from virgin to GRS-certified recycled polyester cuts the garment’s carbon footprint by roughly 40% — and across our recycled programme, that reduction averages out to 40% at fabric level, verified by cradle-to-gate lifecycle assessments. Water consumption in dyeing has been reduced through low-liquor-ratio machinery, and our partner mills operate closed-loop water systems for the recycled yarn lines.
“Recycled content only matters if the garment still performs. Our lab tests recycled fabrics to the same standards as virgin material — the sustainability story starts after the performance story is proven.” — R&D Laboratory Manager, Shangpinwu
Performance without compromise
Every recycled fabric in our library passes the same in-house battery as our conventional materials: minimum 50 wash cycles of colour fastness, pilling grade 4 or better, and stretch recovery within 5% of virgin equivalents. Moisture management is measured on a vertical wicking rig, and results are published in each fabric’s technical data sheet so your designers can specify with confidence.
Traceability your auditors will accept
Each order ships with Global Recycled Standard transaction certificates from fibre through to finished garment, plus mill-level scope certificates on request. We keep lot-level records linking every fabric roll to its recycled content certificate, so chain-of-custody questions are answered from documentation, not memory.
Want to see the test data for yourself? Request our recycled fabric library and swatch card — samples ship worldwide within five working days.