Aurélie Lienhart is a member of the Think Tank of the Sport Business Observatory where she deals with societal issues and innovation. She is also a partner of the firm In&Sport whose vocation is to provide analyzes and decryptions on the evolution of sport, both in its economic and social dimension.
Every year, more than 100,000 tonnes of sporting and leisure items end up in the trash.
And it is quite naturally that ecology invites itself into this sector through two laws passed, "Climate and Resilience" - 2021 and "AGEC" - 2020, which require players in this sector to rethink their way of invest in their products, their actions in favor of the environment and their relationship with consumers who are increasingly aware of the importance of environmental issues.
In France, an eco-organisation, Ecologic, has been set up to structure the approach of all the companies present on the French market.
At the same time, players in this sector have seen in it opportunities to transform and innovate, whether
you are a SportTech start-up or a large international group like Adidas.
Without necessarily waiting for these legal obligations to commit.
A sector that is being structured in France thanks to a dedicated organization, Ecologic
If these two laws are only French to date, they apply without discernment of nationality of the companies present in the "Sport" sector and are the subject of a very particular structuring through the eco-organization Ecologic with a budget of 100 million euros per year, of which a third dedicated to a repair fund to encourage reuse and limit the waste of sports equipment and clothing.
Because according to ADEME – the environment and energy management agency – half of the items and equipment thrown away by the French are reusable, either by being repaired, or in spare parts, or by being recycled.
Under the aegis of the Union Sport et Cycle (US&C), this new sector with "
extended producer responsibility
» aims to organize the collection and reprocessing of waste from this sector and to promote the circular economy and eco-design.
And it aims to double the quantities of reused items by 2027 and to recycle what remains, including 62% for cycles and 50% for other products.
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If the provisions of the law must apply from January 1, 2023, experiments are already underway with players in the sector.
For textiles and shoes, in-store deposit is already offered;
for other items that are damaged or intended to be thrown away, users can drop them off in stores or in their clubs.
The items will be sorted by the eco-organisation's service providers, isolated if they can have a new life, separated into major categories and recovered in the form of material, incinerated or buried as a last resort.
The first difficulties appeared: very diverse objects to sort but also mixtures of materials and the presence of composites which make the treatments more complex.
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It is in this context that the Union Sport & Cycle is awarding the Ecosport Awards 2022 for the third consecutive year, during a ceremony on June 28, dedicated to the ecological innovation of the players in sport, cycling and active mobility.
Virgile Caillet (General Delegate of the US&C) specifies that five prizes will be awarded there to reward eco-design, the circular economy, the "sport" company committed to sustainability, the structures and places of practice with environmental innovation and the sporting event involved.
Adidas, a global player committed to a sustainable and innovative approach
If France mobilizes all the actors through laws and the structuring of the "Sport" sector, the German firm Adidas has decided to engage in a sustainable and global reflection to meet environmental challenges, and this by innovating from the product design and reflection on materials until their reuse and recycling.
"
The approach imposed itself in [this] global company, with a global impact and which bears societal responsibilities
", supports Mathieu Sidokpohou, General Manager Southern Europe at Adidas.
The company's objectives are clear for 2025: 9 out of 10 articles will be sustainable and the climate neutrality of their own activities will be achieved.
Beyond the speech, the Franco-German equipment manufacturer puts forward concrete elements to defend its convictions and its assumption of responsibility in the fight for the defense of the environment.
The company has already reworked its production processes by integrating eco-design and anticipating the entire life cycle of the product: rethinking standard materials to integrate recycled, natural or low-carbon materials, designing products for be recreated and have multiple lives, tend towards carbon neutrality.
For its polyester needs in its products, the manufacturer uses up to 90% of this recycled material. Investment in innovation is a necessity in order to meet these commitments and cannot rely on internal resources alone.
“
To innovate, you need ideas […] and we are going to open up to the world by partnering not only with suppliers for new materials but also with companies that can compete to achieve our goals.
“, explains the DG South Europe of Adidas.
This is the case of the collaboration with the New Zealand company Allbirds, which specializes in the use of natural materials for the manufacture of shoes and clothing.
The goal is to create shoes with the lowest carbon footprint and the highest sports performance for running.
Thus placed at the level of the sector, the environmental issue therefore makes it possible to "pool" research efforts which, at the end of the chain, the end consumer to have a more "responsible" practice.
For example, the company Spinnova produces durable textile fibers based on natural materials (particularly from wood fibre) intended for the textile industry.
Proof that the sector has taken the subject head on, players like Adidas go beyond the “greening” of their products.
The brand with the 3 stripes also uses its notoriety to engage in actions mobilizing the general public, its ambassadors and representatives as well as its employees, and to raise awareness of major causes in favor of the protection of the environment.
On Oceans Day on June 8, adidas and the Parley for The Oceans association launched the fifth edition of the “Run for the Oceans” initiative.
This operation allows any runner, for each 10-minute run recorded on partner applications, to collect the equivalent of a plastic bottle on beaches, isolated islands and coasts in order to prevent it from running. reach the oceans.
New activities have been added to the challenge this year to make it even more inclusive: athletes are invited to practice a sporting activity in the streets, on tennis courts or even football pitches in order to contribute to the fundraising objectives to the scourge of plastic waste.
Because studies show that the planet has reached a critical threshold and that, if we do nothing, the oceans will contain more plastic than fish by 2050. Thanks to this initiative,
For Adidas, it is not only a question of positioning itself as a promoter or sponsor of an action but of becoming an actor in it, by directly using the results of the collections in their products.
“
Our objective is twofold: to raise awareness of the problem of plastic pollution of the oceans and to motivate people to take action.
And that's why Adidas has made a long-term commitment to the partnership with Parley and mobilizes its partners, its employees but also its ambassadors like Pedri from FC Barcelona or the model, Karlie Kloss
“, insists Mathieu Sidokpohou.
The German firm also benefits from large-scale competitions such as Roland-Garros where it has offered a unique event allowing tennis to be played on land under the ocean.
This immersed experience was supported by professional players linked to the brand such as Dominic Thiem, Hugo Gaston, Clara Burel, Maria Sakkari... The 10K de Paris which takes place on Sunday June 5, bringing together nearly 30,000 people, is also an opportunity to promote the “Run for the oceans” cause.
Another example, Adidas and Decathlon joined forces in 2022 to focus on actions in favor of the environment and social inclusion.
Together, the two entities have created a more inclusive sports field, from recycled shoes, as part of the “Collectives” initiative.
25,000 pairs of sports shoes are needed to make this multi-sport ground, around practices mostly popular with women and too often reserved for paying rooms (fitness, dynamic workout, yoga, stretching, pilates, dance, etc.).
Amateurs and top athletes alike were invited to drop off their used sneakers in the 330 Decathlon stores between February 24 and March 25.
The soles of these will notably become the raw material of the floor covering,
It is with this type of 360-degree approach that players avoid the risk of “green-washing”.
The “Sport” sector is therefore evolving to respond to new challenges in terms of sustainable development and also of society.
If until now innovations were rather promoted by SportTech start-ups, the major groups in this sector have also taken their responsibilities to offer products and actions more in line with the expectations of consumers and the general public.
Because if the ecological commitment has not yet become a criterion of choice for a brand, it could quickly become a criterion of non-choice if the brand does not set an example.