Asics to recycle used clothes to make Japan’s Olympics uniforms

Sportswear brand Asics will recycle used clothing to make the official uniforms for Japan’s team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The company will provide apparel for athletes in competitions and at medal ceremonies and plans to extract polyester fibers from the collected items and turn them into fabric for clothing and footwear.

Other recyclable materials extracted from the items collected will be turned into fuel, among other uses, the firm said.

The uniforms will be worn by the home team at next year's games in Tokyo.

It aims to collect around 30,000 items for the project by the end of May via donation boxes at sports venues and sporting goods stores.

It comes as the fashion industry faces increasing pressure to make more sustainable clothing.

The fashion industry more broadly has been under increasing pressure to make its practices more sustainable.

The UN said the global fashion industry contributes around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

To grow enough cotton for a single pair of jeans requires about 10,000 liters of water, which is enough to supply a person with drinking water for ten years, the UN said.

Cumulatively, the fashion industry produces about 20% of global wastewater.

About 85% of textiles end up in landfills or are incinerated.

However, the 2018 Pulse of the Fashion Industry Report found a 6% improvement over the previous year in general sustainability efforts across the industry.