Phenix sport is a sportswear company that provides sports clubs with recycled tee shirts from sea waste and plastic equipment made from citizens’ used textile.
The textile industry is one of the most polluting industries on the planet. Annually 12 million tons of plastic is dumped into our oceans. Phenix sport was founded in Nice in 2020, to address these two issues and to encourage citizens in recycling, to return and repurpose old tee shirts. Furthermore, this practice is a good example for municipalities to deal with textile waste, to develop local partnerships and to answer environmental concern and citizens involvement in circular economy.
The company produces sportswear clothing using recycled and regenerated polyester, made from plastic waste and bottles collected in the Mediterranean Sea in partnership with the SEAQUAL association. Thus, SEAQUAL INITIATIVE helps battle ocean pollution and raise awareness of marine litter.
With the help of Eco-TLC, a local partner specialized in textile sorting. Phenix sport is collecting and recycling used tee shirts from sports associations and clubs, recycling the disregarded equipment into plastic composite and transforming them into educational sports equipment such as cones and cups that are used in various sports practices.
Several partnerships with sports clubs and schools have been signed: The sports clubs collect used sportswear from their members, inviting them to contribute to a circular economy. Phenix Sport also collaborates with Football Globe-trotters, a third sector association that globally helps young footballers globally to have quality equipment.
Resources needed
Refashion, the French operator for textile valorisation funded Phenix Sport with 100,000€. However, Phenix Sport still needs 50,000€ in funding to buy moulds for manufacturing sports equipment.
Active citizen participation is vital to retrieve and recycle citizens old textiles.
Evidence of success
The practice addresses citizens’ concerns on environmental issues and accelerates citizens involvement in the circular economy. The incorporation of recycled waste in the manufacturing of a cup, reduces 18% of energy, 40% in CO2 emissions and 45% less water, compared to a cup made from virgin material. While recycled polyester saves 59% of energy and 32% of CO2 emissions compared to conventional polyester. Furthermore, Phenix Sport plans to recycle 19 tons of shirts in 2022 and 36 tons in 2023.
Difficulties encountered
Phenix Sport would like to go further in the local production of its textiles and sports equipment, but due to high labour costs in France, the manufacturing is currently made in Portugal.
Potential for learning or transfer
Other regions can learn from the multi-functioning partnerships with several associations, decathlon, sports clubs for children, textile sorting companies etc. As this sort of circular collaboration can be extended to many sports clubs including football, basketball, squash, volleyball, etc., that can recycle old playing shirts into educational material for sport, instead of throwing them into the trash, just because the sponsors have changed.
Key success factors for a transfer of the practice include encouraging local partnerships between sports clubs, textile collecting companies, educational actors and manufacturing companies. Financial incentives can be useful at the start of the project. While a potential obstacle to the transfer is the final price of the product, which should not be too expensive in order to be accessible and feasible to citizens.
The french law forced the creation of a single entity for textile valorisation and financing companies such as phenix sport.
Tags: Plastics, Reuse of waste, Sport, Textile
