USA TODAY photo
The almighty FIFA World Cup tournament began on June 11, and a number of teams are kicking-off a new tradition. Nine teams, including the US Soccer team, are all wearing jerseys made from recycled plastic bottles. At least all the Gatorade bottles they go through in practice can eventually help make them look good.
Many of the uniforms are made-in-Taiwan, where the country is committed to promoting green technology and reducing their carbon dioxide emissions. A member of the Taiwanese cabinet said, “Each jersey is made from eight plastic bottles that are melted and processed into polyester and is 13 percent lighter and can absorb and disperse sweat more quickly than traditional fabric.” They didn’t stop with just using recycled materials, they also used environmentally friendly dyes to make the jerseys to each team’s specification.
I think it’s great to see recycled products on the front page of our papers. Soccer is not really my sport (too many other great sports teams in Boston to watch), but I appreciate the sport moving into new territory that could spur other teams to follow suit. Go Team USA!
