Adidas has their Parley range, Nike has its Space Hippy, and now Puma is introducing its PUMA x FIRST MILE collection. This consists of shoes and apparel made from recycled yarn that is manufactured from plastic bottles collected in the First Mile network.

The First Mile is a people-focused network that strengthens micro-economies in Taiwan, Honduras, and Haiti by collecting plastic bottles to create sustainable jobs and reduce pollution. The bottles are then sorted, cleaned, shredded, and turned into yarn, which is later used to create products with purpose that empower from the first mile forward, according to Puma.  

The pieces from the SS20 PUMA x FIRST MILE training collection range from shoes, tees, shorts, pants and jackets. In total, between men’s and women’s apparel, there are over 60 options to choose from; for footwear, there will be available a range of 25 different styles and colours for both men and women.

 “Even though one of the key benefits of this partnership is social impact, the PUMA and First Mile program has diverted over 40 tonnes of plastic waste from landfills and oceans, just for the products made for 2020. This roughly translates into 1,980,286 plastic bottles being reused,” said Stefan Seidel, Head of Corporate Sustainability for PUMA. “The pieces from this co-branded training collection is made of at least 83% to even 100% from the more sustainable yarn sourced from First Mile.”

The first PUMA x FIRST MILE training collection will be available from 2 March on PUMA.com and at PUMA stores.