Sportswear and equipment manufacturer Puma has set itself the goal of manufacturing 90% of
its products from more sustainable materials by 2025. The German business will also make 75% of the polyester it uses recycled by this deadline.
The announcement comes as Puma says that it has managed to succeed in 2020 in finding sustainable sources for the main materials it uses in its production process, namely viscose, cotton, and down. The business’ objective also includes reducing its consumption of water and chemicals across its production chain.
“In our sustainable development strategy, we strive to have the greatest possible positive impact so our customers know that, by buying a Puma product, they are buying a product from a sustainable source,” said Puma’s head of corporate sustainability, Stefan Seidel.
Puma is pursuing an eco-friendly approach through dedicated product lines. Firstly, there is its recycled polyester collection ‘Exhale’ which the brand created with supermodel Cara Delevingne. There is also Re.Gen, a line produced from Puma’s own industrial waste ranging from leather and cotton scraps to recycled plastic waste. The brand’s ‘First Mile Collection’ incorporates yarn made from recycled plastics and its manufacturing process creates sustainable employment in Taiwan, Haiti, and Honduras.
In 2021, Puma expects to see sales growth of around 15% and profitability significantly higher that what it reported last year. In 2020, the German business experienced a 5% contraction of its total sales to €5.2 billion ($6.3 billion). The increase in business it reported in the EMEA zone was not sufficient to offset the decline it experienced in the Asia-Pacific region and in the US market.