England
World's 'greenest club' launches kit made of bamboo
English Football League Two side Forest Green Rovers launch pioneering new kit made from a 50% bamboo mix.
The world's "greenest football club" (according to UEFA) Forest Green Rovers have launched a pioneering new football kit with the new shirts being the first to be made from bamboo, a fast growing, and highly sustainable material.
Dale Vince, chairman, Forest Green Rovers, said: “We’ve taken inspiration from nature with our new kit – from the zebra stripes to the sustainable materials. I was pretty shocked when I found out that modern sportswear is actually made from plastic – that feels wrong to me, not just from the sustainability point of view, but for performance too.
“Together with (kit supplier) PlayerLayer, we’re making strides towards a new approach for football kit – this year’s 50% Bamboo is a stake in the ground and we plan to move beyond that. The aim is 100% sustainable high-performance material.”
Vegan diet
The club came to international fame in 2011 with the arrival of new new owner and green energy pioneer Vince. Developments included an organic playing pitch and the first team squad embarking on an entirely vegan diet.