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Launched by eco-friendly Nice-based parts
manufacturer Nolt, the circular project called
R-SHAPE recycles polyester sportswear into
plastic composites that can be used to make sports
equipment. For the moment, it is making cones
for football training but over time, there will be a
complete range of sports equipment. Hundreds
of used or damaged football shirts sent by clubs,
federations and local authorities can find new life
on the pitch. Nolt is planning to recycle 36 tons of
clothes in 2023. The project was one of the 2020
Refashion Challenge Innovation winners.
By combining sportswear and recycling, Nolt is
naturally addressing a young audience that is
increasingly invested in preserving the environment.
The company can demonstrate what recycling can
really do. Its approach is even more pertinent because
the products concerned belong to the same world,
which makes the whole recycling initiative even more
logical. Here, it’s not bottles becoming football shirts
but shirts that are becoming sports equipment. Who
knows what that sports equipment will become in the
future?
