The NHL took a significant step toward ending plastic waste in it’s uniforms on Monday, announcing all 32 teams will wear Adidas jerseys made of at least 50% recycled content. This is the first instance in which every NHL team will wear uniforms made out of recycled materials.
“We know that plastic waste is a mounting problem, and we need to innovate the ways in which we produce our products,” senior director of Adidas Hockey Dan Near said in a statement. “The new ADIZERO Primegreen NHL jerseys are an incredible example of how we’re bringing that idea to life.”
Before Adidas brought its Adizero Primegreen Authentic jerseys to the ice, it introduced environmentally-friendly uniforms to the college gridiron. Arizona State, Miami, Mississippi State and Georgia Tech all wore Primeknit #A1 Uniforms made out of yarn in 2019 while the country’s top high schoolers competed in those same uniforms during the Army All-American Bowl a year prior.
Adidas, which began actively reducing its carbon footprint in 2012 and hopes to end its use of virgin polyesters by 2024, proved its eco-friendly jerseys could withstand the physicality of an NHL game before. Players wore Adizero Authentic Parley jerseys — made from repurposed plastic found on shorelines — during the 2019 NHL All-Star game.
“For more than a decade, the NHL has remained steadfast in its commitment to reduce our environmental impact across different facets of our business,” NHL chief branding officer and senior executive vice president Brian Jennings said. “We are proud to have a partner in adidas who is implementing forward-thinking innovation that addresses some of the world’s pressing ecological challenges and is a fellow steward in the preservation of the game.”
The new NHL jerseys will have their usual stripping and logos, but will also have dimensional embroidery signifying their eco-friendly origins. They will be available in stores and online this fall.
Eco-friendly jerseys have also made their way into the NFL and NBA, with Nike introducing jerseys made out recycled plastics for the Detroit Lions in 2014 and Golden State Warriors in 2017.
Adizero Primegreen Authentic NHL jerseys will make their debut on Oct. 12, the 2021-2022 season’s opening night.
