The majority of soccer jerseys are made out of polyester, a non-biodegradable synthetic fabric derived from fossil fuels. An estimated 70 million barrels worth of oil are used to produce polyester fiber every year, producing nearly 5.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide per shirt, a 2019 report<\/a> from the U.K. Parliament found.<\/p>\n According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation<\/a>, in 2021, the top 10 soccer clubs in the world sold more than 17 million polyester shirts. Meanwhile, the UN Environment Program estimates that every second, one garbage-truck-worth of textiles is sent to a landfill or incinerated<\/a>.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n As the issue of sustainability in soccer takes the pitch, one local team, the Vermont Green, is accepting the challenge of designing soccer kits that prioritize a sustainable, circular economy.<\/p>\n For Vermont Green co-founder Patrick Infurna, the decision to focus on eco-friendly apparel comes from the team\u2019s homegrown values and mission to promote sustainability.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, we see it as the right thing to do, and we see it as something that is our own kind of personal challenge to try to challenge the norms of professional sport,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n To achieve this goal, the team partners with various environmentally conscious producers, including Player Layer, a British company<\/a> that uses recycled materials in its apparel.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Player Layer is also a member of Cascale<\/a>, a global non-profit working to combat climate change and promote workers\u2019 rights in the apparel industry. Member organizations use the non-profit\u2019s Higg Index Tools<\/a> to quantify the environmental impacts of their chosen materials and production processes, helping groups make more eco-conscious decisions.<\/p>\n Sustainable production is not the only factor considered in manufacturing the Green\u2019s jerseys. Each jersey and training top, designed by club co-founder Matthew Wolff, features the logo of Burlington-based non-profit 1% for the Planet<\/a>, whose members agree to donate 1% of profits to local environmental organizations.<\/p>\n \u201cThe jerseys are meant to inspire with their material, but also with their design,\u201d Infurna said.<\/p>\n As a member, Vermont Green partners with local groups such as We Are Neutral<\/a>, a non-profit that helps people and businesses understand and address their environmental footprints.<\/p>\n Courtesy<\/p>\n \/<\/p>\n Vermont Green FC<\/p>\n The Vermont Green 2026 season training top, made in partnership with Ben and Jerry\u2019s, features a nature-inspired floral design and is made from approximately 23 recycled plastic water bottles<\/p>\n Wolff\u2019s latest training top design, released in partnership with Ben & Jerry\u2019s, conveys the team\u2019s sustainability mission with a bright, floral pattern. Each top is made from approximately 23 recycled plastic water bottles<\/a> and meets the Global Recycled Standard, which says products must use at least 20% recycled materials, among other requirements.<\/p>\n Still, while polyester and other synthetic fabrics are technically recyclable, in practice, the process is complicated, said Kelly McDowell, a professor of sustainable fashion at the University of Vermont.<\/p>\n According to McDowell, to recycle polyester, it must first be melted into pellets or a solution, then have various chemicals added before being processed back into a usable fiber.<\/p>\n Many of those technologies are still too costly, energy-intensive and small-scale to meet demand, McDowell said, especially compared with recycling organic materials.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the difference where you need a larger production process in a factory to recycle and reuse the polyester, and therefore, more chemicals come into play with synthetics,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Polyester also breaks down during recycling, said McDowell, meaning there will still be a waste product that eventually needs to be discarded.<\/p>\n Joe Whitten, the co-founder and CEO of Apparel Impact, a New England-based textile and reuse company, said creating a circular economy involves more than just recycling.<\/p>\n \u201cAt its core, the circular economy is about keeping products and materials in use for as long as possible instead of following the traditional \u2018make, use, dispose\u2019 model. In textiles, that means extending the life of clothing through reuse first, then recycling when reuse is no longer possible.\u201d<\/p>\n The Vermont Green has already taken steps in this direction. Rather than creating two separate \u201chome\u201d and \u201caway\u201d kits, the Green reuse the previous season\u2019s home kits as the next season\u2019s away jerseys.<\/p>\n The team also accounts for overproduction, opting to let merchandise sell out rather than overstocking and avoiding marketing tactics that push merchandise, such as flash sales. The Green also runs a Closed Loop Program with apparel supplier Recover Brands<\/a>, which allows fans to bring used clothing to games to be collected, recycled and returned to the supply chain.<\/p>\n![\"Green](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1784314785_145_.jpeg\"\/)
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