Why Are Jerseys Now Widely Using Recycled Polyester?

When you hold your favorite team's jersey at the 2026 World Cup, there's a very good chance that the fabric in your hands used to be a used plastic drinking bottle — or leftover fabric scraps from a garment factory floor. That sounds strange? This is actually one of the most fascinating innovations currently transforming the global sportswear industry.

The FIFA World Cup 2026, held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026, became a stage for the green revolution of the modern football industry. The majority of tournament contestants wore jerseys made from recycled textile waste from factories. Three of the world's major sportswear manufacturers — Nike, Adidas, and Puma — led this eco-friendly movement, supplying clothing for a combined total of 40 participating countries across the three brands.

The question is: why? Why are the world's biggest sportswear brands all switching to recycled polyester, even for an event as prestigious as the World Cup? And what really makes this material so appealing compared to conventional polyester?

First of All: What Is Recycled Polyester?

The recycled polyester manufacturing process begins with collecting and processing plastic waste. The plastic waste used mostly comes from used PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) bottles, which are widely used for beverage and food packaging. In addition to PET bottles, some manufacturers also make use of polyester textile waste. From here, the sorting process begins by collecting plastic bottles and curating them by color to ensure the quality of the fiber produced. After sorting, the plastic bottles are shredded into small pieces called PET flakes, followed by washing to remove dirt and labels, then dried.

In short, recycled polyester is a high-quality textile fiber produced not from petroleum (the raw material for conventional polyester), but from used plastic or old textiles. The result is technically almost indistinguishable from virgin polyester — yet with a far smaller environmental footprint.

A Brief History: From the 2010 World Cup to 2026

The use of recycled polyester in football jerseys is not new. Back in 2010, several major international teams including Brazil, Portugal, and the Netherlands wore Nike uniforms produced from recycled plastic material. Each jersey worn by players was made from approximately eight used plastic bottles collected from waste disposal sites in Japan and Taiwan. Those bottles were then processed into high-quality polyester fiber that was not only strong and lightweight, but also comfortable for athletes on the field.

At the 2026 World Cup, however, adoption is far more widespread and the technology far more advanced. It's no longer merely a marketing initiative from a handful of teams — it has become an industry standard applied broadly by all three of the largest manufacturers at once.

5 Main Reasons Football Jerseys Are Switching to Recycled Polyester

Reason 1: A Very Significant Reduction in Carbon Emissions

Using recycled polyester results in a carbon gas emission reduction of up to 70 percent. Given that the clothing industry requires around 40 million kilograms of polyester every year, this step will have a tremendous impact.

A 70% reduction in carbon emissions is the most powerful reason driving the sportswear industry to switch to this material. For global brands like Nike, Adidas, and Puma producing tens of millions of units every year, the cumulative environmental impact of this shift is enormous.

Reason 2: Quality That Now Equals — or Even Surpasses — Virgin Polyester

This is the most revolutionary change to have occurred in recent years: the new generation of recycled polyester is no longer a quality compromise. Nike employs advanced chemical recycling technology — processing used clothing and factory fabric scraps that have been separated from zippers and buttons. The material is placed into special chemical reactors to be broken down to the molecular level. This chemical process restores the waste polyester into pure monomers that are free from dye substances. The result of this breakdown gives new fabric fibers a quality identical to that of virgin polyester.

The fact that this quality then allows Nike to apply high-performance Aero-FIT technology worn by Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé is the most concrete proof that recycled polyester has now passed the world's highest performance test.

Reason 3: Reducing Dependence on Fossil Raw Materials

By using fabric already in circulation, we reduce the use of raw materials, particularly those derived from non-renewable sources. This has a direct effect: reduced air, water, and soil contamination.

Conventional polyester is made from petroleum derivatives — a non-renewable resource whose extraction process generates significant emissions. Every kilogram of recycled polyester produced means one less kilogram of dependence on the petrochemical industry.

Reason 4: Increasingly Advanced Recycling Technology

Previously, the biggest challenge with recycled polyester was the inability to efficiently recycle mixed textile materials (polyester + cotton, for example). The latest technology in 2026 is beginning to solve this problem.

Puma took an important step in the circularity of football clothing with its RE:FIBRE program, which focuses on turning textile waste and old polyester clothing into ready-to-use products — moving away from dependence on PET plastic bottles as the primary recycled material. Puma collects defective production fabric and leftover fabric scraps from their partner factory floors. This raw material is then sorted, blended, and shredded into small fabric fragments, which are then melted down to be cleaned of any previous dye content.

The yarn produced by RE:FIBRE is claimed to be endlessly recyclable without any decline in fabric quality — creating a truly circular cycle in which today's jersey can become the raw material for the next generation of jerseys.

Reason 5: Regulatory Pressure and Global Consumer Demands

A non-profit organization called Textile Exchange, in collaboration with UNFCC, issued the "2025 Recycled Polyester Challenge" — inviting various industries in the fashion sector to increase their use of recycled polyester from used PET plastic by 14 to 45 percent by 2025. Textile Exchange has a major vision for 2030 to increase the use of recycled polyester to 90 percent.

Increasingly strict EU export regulations on supply chain sustainability, transparency demands from increasingly eco-conscious consumers, and corporate ESG commitments that have become a B2B requirement — all these factors create pressure that global sportswear brands can no longer ignore.

How Does Recycled Polyester Perform on the Field?

The most relevant question for football fans and garment industry players is: how well does recycled polyester perform compared to conventional polyester for intensive use?

Polyester is known for its high resistance to tearing and abrasion. This synthetic fiber doesn't stretch or deform easily, even after repeated use or washing. Compared to natural materials like cotton, polyester retains its shape and structure longer, making it suitable for intense physical activity. Polyester has hydrophobic properties, meaning it doesn't absorb water — this allows polyester fabric to dry faster than cotton.

These performance characteristics apply to both conventional and recycled polyester — because at the molecular level, they are the same material. The only difference is the origin of their raw materials.

However, one technical complication emerged on the 2026 World Cup pitch: Puma's Ultraweave jersey typically weighs only 72 grams and is mostly made from recycled polyester, with four-way mechanical stretch development — but since the tournament began, four players had their jerseys tear. Puma responded by stating that "because football is a high-contact sport, jerseys can be affected when subjected to severe force or extreme physical pressure — importantly, these incidents did not affect player performance."

This controversy underscores a very relevant dilemma: the thinner and lighter a jersey is for maximum performance, the more vulnerable it becomes to extreme physical pressure — a trade-off that continues to be the subject of research and development across the entire industry.

Recycled Polyester vs. Conventional Polyester: A Complete Comparison

What Does This Trend Mean for Indonesia?

Beyond the buzz of the World Cup, the trend of adopting recycled polyester has very concrete implications for garment and apparel industry players in Indonesia:

For local garment producers and jersey manufacturers. Demand for custom jerseys using more eco-friendly materials will continue to grow — especially from corporate clients with ESG commitments and from younger generations who are increasingly environmentally conscious. Understanding and being able to offer recycled polyester options is a differentiation that is becoming increasingly valuable.

For team and community sports uniforms. Office futsal teams, running communities, school sports groups — segments that have traditionally ordered custom jerseys in relatively small quantities — are beginning to show interest in more sustainable material options. Providing this option is an added value that can set a vendor apart from others.

For active corporate uniforms. Companies providing uniforms for employees in field or operationally active divisions will be increasingly open to high-performance technical materials — and recycled polyester with moisture-wicking technology is a highly relevant candidate for this category.

From Mbappé's Jersey to Your Employee's Jersey

The distance between the jersey worn by Kylian Mbappé at the 2026 World Cup and the jersey or corporate uniform you order for your team is closer than you might think. The same technology — high-performance recycled polyester with moisture-wicking properties, lightweight, and quick-drying — is now available in a broader market segment, including for custom jersey production and corporate uniforms in Indonesia.

What has changed isn't just the material — the industry mindset is also shifting. Choosing materials that are more environmentally responsible is no longer "an expensive option for luxury brands" — it is a standard that will gradually become the expectation across the entire garment industry spectrum.

Abendio: Ready to Support Your Jersey and Active Uniform Needs

PT Abendio Sukses Sejahtera understands the latest developments in garment material technology — including the growing trend of recycled polyester adoption in the sportswear and active corporate uniform industries. With a continuously growing network of material suppliers, Abendio is ready to discuss the best material options — including high-quality recycled polyester options — for your custom jersey, team sports uniform, or active corporate uniform needs.

💡 Inspired by the 2026 World Cup jersey trend and want to order a custom jersey or active uniform? Contact the Abendio team now — we'll help you find the right materials and specifications for your team, office, or community.

Conclusion

The reason football jerseys are now widely using recycled polyester isn't just about sustainability trends — it's the convergence of three factors at once: recycling technology that has matured enough to produce quality equal to virgin materials, regulatory pressure and market demands that can no longer be ignored, and a collective industry awareness that the old way of producing textiles cannot continue to be sustained.

The 2026 World Cup is the moment when 40 countries simultaneously proved on the biggest stage that recycled polyester can be trusted — from Mbappé's feet in the World Cup final to your office futsal court. The question is no longer "is this technology ready" — the question is "when will our local garment industry be ready to adopt it more widely?"