2020 has been a challenging year for almost every sector; and the fashion and sports industry were one of the primary ones to face the brunt. The industry that spent decades turning design, aspiration, and high-quality goods into a $380 billion global behemoth went for a toss. The major takeaway from the pandemic crippling the world has been the dire need to resort to more sustainable ways of development and the luxury industry is no exception.
Musician and entrepreneur Pharrell Williams says, “Fashion can be a universal player in protecting the planet.” ASICS is one such brand that has been working for the health of the planet as much as they vouch for the good health of their customers. Built on the values of ‘sound mind in sound body’, the brand’s ethos finds reflection in each of their aspects, be it product development, thoughtful marketing campaigns, or their focus on fostering development through sustainable ways. The brand believes the amount of interest we pay to the wellbeing of our mental and physical health, we need to pay an equal amount of interest for the welfare of the world around us.
As a global brand, ASICS acknowledges the importance of sustainable growth and believe it is their responsibility to innovate and educate while producing the best products and services in the sports industry. Product is developed not only to support healthy lifestyles among customers but also considering the fact that they do not have detrimental effect on the environment. They are manufactured in a way where the environmental impact is taken into consideration at every step of their life cycle, which entail designing, production process, and business operations.
The brand looks up to sustainability as the only way of life in future and have been working rampantly on sustainable strategies that include reduction of reliance on non-sustainable materials and processes. The brand with its unique mission of nurturing healthy mind in healthy body is making concrete efforts towards the health of the planet. In their bid to contribute towards their goal of moving towards more sustainable alternatives by the year 2030, ASICS has already started researching on replacement for products like polyester and leather with ones that are environment-friendly, biodegradable, and sustainable in the long run.
ASICS is working steadily towards recycling of products as a way to reach their sustainable goal. As a part of their Ocean Waste Project started in 2020, the majority of ASICS recycle polyester material is being made from recycled PET bottles. In 2018, the group made a commitment to source more sustainable cotton. 100% of the cotton being sourced are sustainable. The same year, the company also joined the Leather Working Group (LWG), an organization that brings together leather manufacturers and other stakeholders in a single entity, committed to environmentally responsible business practices.
The above-mentioned are only a tip to the iceberg of the amount of effort ASICS is putting in to develop itself into an environmentally conscious brand. Although, there is still a long way to go, but as the adage goes, ‘the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’.
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