Uninterrupted, a subsidiary of The SpringHill Company founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, has teamed up with the creators of 2019 ‘s The Game Changers documentary to produce a highly anticipated sequel.

The original Game Changers film, directed by Louis Psihoyos, and featured executive producers James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Lewis Hamilton, Chris Paul, and Novak Djokovic, showcased the remarkable rise of plant-based eating in professional sports. Some of the world’s top athletes, including Olympians featured in the film, have adhered to a plant-based diet.

LeBron James’ Uninterrupted

The film explored the physiological advantages of a plant-based diet, looking at performance and bloodwork, among other determining factors in overall health. With heavyweights like Schwarzenegger and Hamilton featured in the film, it was an instant hit.

The film has been viewed more than 100 million times and the documentary is widely credited with sparking a significant shift in global eating habits.

The sequel will be co-directed by Stephanie Soechtig and Kristin Lazure, known for their work on acclaimed films such as Fed Up, Knock Down the House, The Devil We Know, and the upcoming Poisoned on Netflix. Produced in collaboration with their production company Atlas Films, the feature documentary is set to begin production in the coming summer. The executive producers for Uninterrupted include LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Jamal Henderson, and Philip Byron, with Matt Rissmiller and Naomi Wright serving as co-executive producers.

Commenting on the collaboration, James Wilks, producer and star of The Game Changers, expressed his excitement, stating, “With The SpringHill Company’s proven ability to merge athlete-driven storytelling with progressive subject matter, and Stephanie and Kristin’s talent for blending engaging personal narratives with impactful investigative journalism, we couldn’t be more thrilled about this team.”

‘Game Changers’ return

The sequel will delve into the profound impact of food choices not only on personal performance and health but also on broader issues such as children’s health, food justice, and the environment. Several of the original executive producers are expected to return for this second installment, which will feature an impressive lineup of athletes and entertainers. Together, they will tackle challenging food-related topics and present compelling stories from various continents.

Soechtig and Lazure, the co-directors, expressed their enthusiasm for joining the team, saying, “The Game Changers had a profound impact on us as individuals and filmmakers. We know there’s much more to explore, and we are thrilled to be a part of this project.”

Philip Byron, Head of Unscripted & Docs at The SpringHill Company, emphasized the unique opportunity to expand on the cultural conversation ignited by The Game Changers, addressing the critical role food plays in tackling pressing issues of our time.

“The SpringHill Company has evolved into a full-service production company, and we are thrilled that James Wilks and Joseph Pace selected us to help craft their highly anticipated sequel and equally excited to work with Stephanie and Kristin on the first of hopefully many projects,” Byron said.

The post LeBron James’ Uninterrupted Backs ‘Game Changers’ Sequel: ‘We Couldn’t Be More Thrilled’ appeared first on Green Queen.

Chances are you’ve heard about trail running lately. Perhaps your work colleague happens to be an avid trail runner, maybe your friend has just picked up the sport, or it just keeps coming up during family dinner conversations. Long story short, trail running has become a big hit in recent years all over the world, including our home city of Hong Kong. But wait – what is trail running, really? Here, we explain why trail running is different from other types of running and what makes it such a unique outdoor sport. 

What is trail running? 

Trail running is a long-distance endurance form of sport involving a combination of running and hiking. While similar to mountain running or hill running, trail running is distinguished by its exclusively unpaved terrain, such as soil, mud, ground and grass. It tends to take place in warmer climates, such as Hong Kong, and is typically a slower, more “concentrated” form of running compared to road running. 

Your brain has to move with your body

Unlike some other forms of running, trail running will naturally involve a few obstacles, whether it be uneven terrain or rubble and rocks along your path. Going through the ups and downs of each trail requires thinking and concentrating on the task ahead of you while you run. British ultramarathoner Robbie Britton, for instance, has previously described it as a “real boost for the brain”.

Read: Vegan ultramarathoner Vlad Ixel shares his journey to becoming an elite plant-based trail runner

Never a boring moment

Each run is much like an adventure on the trails! On a treadmill, you might have to try and entertain yourself by watching the television screen in front of you. That couldn’t be further from the reality when you’re running somewhere surrounded by nature and wildlife, where the changing landscape will ensure you’ll never be bored. 

Less impact on your joints

Trail running typically involves softer surfaces, which reduces the pounding and impact on your joints and body. By contrast, running on hard man-made mediums such as asphalt or concrete creates more pressure on the cartilage cushioning, which can accelerate the natural rate of wear-and-tear of your joints. 

Improves overall fitness

Running on trails provides a much more balanced and all-rounded exercise activity than running on concrete pavements. Going uphill improves strength, while uneven surfaces boosts flexibility, balance, core strength and ankle strength too. Tackling changing trail environments will also require runners to vary length of strides, shifting from left to right – all of this helps coordination and agility. 

Boost for your mental health

Sure, we all know that any exercise is good for our physical health, but did you know that trail running can be a real boon for our mental well-being too? Not only will you benefit from the endorphins or “happy hormones” released by any kind of exercise, spending time outdoors in the midst of nature has been shown to have therapeutic effects, from calming nerves to improving mood and self-esteem. 

Lead image courtesy of Stock Images.

The post Trail Running 101: What You Need To Know About Asia’s New Favourite Sport appeared first on Green Queen.

Reading is a really rewarding past-time, and infinite-scrolling through Instagram is one of modern life’s most enjoyable guilty pleasures. But when it comes to getting a serious inspiration fix, nothing beats video. And no one does inspiration quite like TED. We round up our favorite health, wellness, and fitness TED talks, each life-changing in its own way.

1. All It Takes Is 10 Mindful Minutes, By Andy Puddicombe

Andy Puddicombe is a mindfulness guru on a mission to show you that 10 short minutes a day can change your whole life.

2. How Healthy Living Nearly Killed Me, By AJ Jacobs

AJ Jacobs spent a year following every piece of ‘healthy habit’ expert advice he could find (think applying the recommended amount of sunscreen and regularly wearing a cycling helmet for safety). What he learned will surprise you.

3. A Simple Way To Break A Bad Habit, By Judson Brewer

We all have them and we all have trouble getting rid of them. Habit-forming expert and psychiatrist Judson Brewer breaks down the complexity of bad habit psychology into easy-to-digest tactics that can help you break those bad habits once and for all.

4. The Other Inconvenient Truth, By Jonathan Foley

Terraculture might just be the farming movement that can feed the planet without harming it. Jonathan Foley educates about the massive environmental holes in our exponential demand for food.

5. Why Some People Find Exercise Harder Than Others, By Emily Balcetis

Social psychologist Emily Balcetis shares the fascinating reason why some of us find working out to be a chore, whilst others can’t get enough!

6. What’s Wrong With What We Eat, By Marc Bittman

In his poignant and humorous talk, Mark Bittman, one of the most prolific food commentators of our time, talks about how as a culture, we have forgotten the proper way to eat.

7. Why Dieting Doesn’t Usually Work, By Sandra Aamodt

You’ve heard it before, and you will hear it again: dieting doesn’t work. Neuroscientist Sandra Aamodt explains why not.

8. The Art Of Choosing, By Sheena Iyengar

Thought by many to be the world’s foremost expert on how we make choices, Columbia Business School Professor Sheena Iyengar has devoted her life to figuring out why and how we choose. In this talk, she offers up the highlights of her groundbreaking research.

9. Teach Every Child About Food, By Jamie Oliver

Using his Huntington, West Virginia anti-obesity campaign as a test case, Britain’s most inspiring chef discusses how we have failed our children when it comes to food, diet and nutrition.

10. How To Live To Be 100+, By Dan Buettner

National Geographic Fellow and New York Times bestseller Dan Buettner, highlights the key findings from his Blue Zones study of centenarian communities across the globe, illustrating their common healthy living and dietary habits, all of which you can follow.

All videos courtesy of TED; lead photo from TED Facebook Page. 

The post The 10 Best TED Talks About Healthy Living, Fitness, and Wellness appeared first on Green Queen.

New research into the effectiveness of vegan and animal-based protein sources has confirmed no difference between the two. The data show that men who eat plant-based protein and supplement with soy can bulk up as much as those who include meat and whey in their regime.

The study was conducted in 2021 in Brazil with findings published in the science journal Sports Medicine. It featured 38 men with an average age of 25. Half were vegan, the other 19 omnivorous. All were asked to take part in a prescribed weight-training programme, supervised at the University of São Paulo. Results were recorded over three months with final conclusions determining that vegan protein is just as effective for building muscle as animal alternatives.

Controlling the conditions

The study was conducted to analyse the impact of dietary protein on strength training results. The team of scientists instructed participants to eat 1.6 grams of protein for every kilo they weighed. The vegans used soy supplements, the omnivores stuck with whey. At the end of the observation period, both groups had shown significant improvements in lean and whole muscle development, as well as gym performance. There was no difference between the two groups leading to a declaration that plant-based and animal-based proteins are equally effective.

“A high-protein, exclusively plant-based diet (plant-based whole foods + soy protein isolate supplementation) is not different than a protein-matched mixed diet (mixed whole foods + whey protein supplementation) in supporting muscle strength and mass accrual, suggesting that protein source does not affect resistance training-induced adaptations in untrained young men consuming adequate amounts of protein,” the study concludes.

Challenging preconceptions

Whey has traditionally been the protein source of choice for strength training. Now, increasing numbers of people are switching to plant-based sources, including soy. Coupled with confirmation that animal-free protein is no less effective at building muscle, the purported benefits of ‘clean’ vegan protein are creating a shift.

Other data have also suggested that a vegan diet encourages a glut of healthy bacteria to assist in better digestion and more effective absorption of fuel. Heart health is a known benefit of plant-based eating, with foods containing no damaging cholesterol. This leads to steady blood pressure and less risk of exercise-induced health issues. 

An earlier study, conducted in the U.S. in 2017, concluded that meat is no better for maintaining musculoskeletal health than vegan protein. Findings were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study found that higher protein intake was linked to better health, but the source of the protein was irrelevant. 

A number of professional athletes and bodybuilders have stepped forward to confirm that removing animal products from their training regimes did nothing to impact them negatively. Venus Williams famously claimed that a vegan diet “changed her life” and improved her game. Similarly, Lewis Hamilton enjoyed his transformation so much that he has invested a portion of his earnings in his own vegan burger chain, Neat Burger. 

Most pertinent to the world of bodybuilding, Iranian-born strongman Patrik Baboumian, now retired, secured world records, all while training on a vegan diet. Baboumian famously appeared in Netflix’s The Gamechangers documentary. He has just announced the launch of his GREENFORCE vegan meat range. It looks set to be a sustainable alternative to animal meats, with products being sold in powder form, ready to be mixed with water and cooked. 

All images courtesy of Unsplash.

The post Vegan Protein As Effective As Whey For Building Muscle, Study Finds appeared first on Green Queen.

Outdoor and sporting goods company, REI Co-op has launched its first eco outdoor footwear line, two hiking hybrid shoes dubbed Flash and Traverse. The hiking boots are made entirely out of biobased and various recycled materials. U.S.-based REI, which has been a member-owned co-op since 1938, offers a range of sporting goods, camping gear, travel equipment, and clothing, in addition to its outdoor recreational packages.

The team at REI wanted to provide consumers comfortable and lightweight unisex trail-running shoes. To understand more about what their consumers wanted, they surveyed over 6,000 of their co-op members across the U.S. about their running shoe needs and the results showed a clear priority for comfort and sustainability alike.

Senior product manager for footwear at REI, who managed the design process for the new shoes, Bennett Grimes, said that the team was committed to balancing a planet-forward approach with technical requirements: “We wanted to create hybrid versatility without compromised performance.”

The company has very clear Product Impact Standards, a set of guidelines detailing how member brands can reduce their carbon footprint and incorporate sustainability in their businesses and they held themselves to the same rules during the shoemaking process.

Product sustainability manager at REI, Greg Gausewitz, underscored the importance of creating a shoe that will last: “We looked at the line via three factors. First, you have to put a great product on the market that exceeds customer expectations. Once that product is in the customer’s hands, you want to keep that product in use for as long as possible because any product they don’t have to buy is one less product that creates more waste. Finally, you want to minimize the environmental impact of manufacturing within that framework.”

The first shoe, called Flash, is a traditional hiking boot—it is water-resistant and has a long, thin piece of nylon in the midsole to keep the hiker’s feet safe from rocks and other trail debris. The shoe’s upper is developed from recycled thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).

We looked at the line via three factors. First, you have to put a great product on the market that exceeds customer expectations. Once that product is in the customer’s hands, you want to keep that product in use for as long as possible because any product they don’t have to buy is one less product that creates more waste. Finally, you want to minimize the environmental impact of manufacturing within that framework

Greg Gausewitz, product sustainability manager at REI

Foregoing conventional leather for toxicity and environmental reasons, REI chose a knit compound known as FirmaKnit made from 99% recycled plastic bottles. For the water-resistant technology, the team built their own system called HydroWall, which is created out of 75% recycled polyester.

The second shoe, named Traverse, is meant to be worn for long adventures like backpacking trips, and apart from being water-resistant, it is strong enough so as to not fold on rough trails. The Traverse is also wrapped with a triple layer of recycled TPU for protection.

For the midsole, the brand partnered with Bloom, a company that converts algae into a foam. “The cool thing is that not only can we control the density, but algae allows us to use 10% fewer fossil fuels when creating our midsole system. The TerraLoft midsole is topped with a carefully designed insole called TrailBed, which is constructed from a corn-based polymer called Susterra,” Grimes added.

Both shoes feature outsoles made from grounded waste rubber with 20% recycled content instead of petroleum-based synthetic rubber.

And apart from the protective TPU which has 30% recycled content, the midfoot has a 100% recycled webbing cradle system and 100% recycled shoelaces.

The nylon skank and four metal speed hooks near the ankle are the only features that weren’t created using bio-based materials or recycled content.

Grimes added: “What happened throughout that journey is that we also created the solution: a go-to, get-out trail shoe with a lighter footprint.”

Other companies rethinking sneaker and performance shoe materials include Hong Kong’s homegrown brand Lono that debuted 100% vegan sneakers made from natural materials, London-based material science firm Pangaia‘s zero-waste sneaker developed from grape waste, and Thousand Fell‘s world’s first completely recyclable shoe.

Lead image – Traverse shoe, courtesy of REI Co-Op.

The post Everything You Need To Know About REI’s First-Ever Eco Hiking Boots appeared first on Green Queen.

Nineteen-year-old vegan basketball player Cade Cunningham has been chosen as the first draft pick in the NBA. He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons. Cunningham has also joined the vegan egg company Just Egg as its latest athlete ambassador.

Vegan athlete

Oklahoma State basketball player Cade Cunningham first tried eating vegan for about two weeks out of sheer curiously and how his body would react to it.

On a trip with Team USA to Greece during the FIBA World Cup, Cunningham wasn’t familiar with the food on the journey and started eating at McDonald’s. However, he decided to go back to veganism and this time stick with it.

The Pistons say the team picked Cunningham because of his unique blend of size and skills and his 6-foot-7 frame makes him a threat as the main ball-handler. During his last season at OSU, Cunningham averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.6 steals.

Promoting egg alternatives

The athlete has also joined forces with Eat Just, makers of the vegan egg alternative JUST Egg.

Detroit’s famous FOLK Cafe will create an animal-free option called ‘Cade Stack’ using the vegan egg. This new option will contain the JUST Egg Folded, along with shakshuka cheese sauce, spread on Zingerman’s plant-based country bread.

Read: Taiwan Pro-Basketball Player Doug Creighton “The Year I Went Vegan Was The Best Of My Career”

NBA players’ stand for veganism

Cunningham isn’t the only vegan NBA player. Kyrie Irving, point guard for the Boston Celtics, has said that his plant-based diet has been instrumental in the team’s recent victories. He has partnered with plant-based meat pioneer Beyond Meat to raise awareness about the benefits of plant-based meat through its “Go Beyond” campaign.

Other vegan NBA players include JaVale McGee, a centre for the Denver Nuggets, and Phoenix Suns’ Chris Paul. Both of these players joined vegan brands Outstanding Foods and goPuff to encourage their fans to eat vegan. Brooklyn Nets’ vegan centre DeAndre Jordan has his own plant-based cooking show called Cooking Clean and is also an ambassador for Eat Just.

Other athletes swear by a vegan diet for performance. American professional boxer Claressa Shields won the junior middleweight division citing her plant-based diet for her athletic performance. With this new win, she becomes the first woman fighter to win an undisputed championship in two weight classes. Tennis champion Venus Williams is a long-time vegan advocate. She recently launched her own vegan protein shake brand, Happy Viking.

The 2019 documentary The Game Changers helped to highlight the benefits of a plant-based diet by showing professional athletes who say the diets helped reduce recovery times, improve performance, and delayed onset muscle soreness.

Studies have shown that plant-based diets feed gut microbes that help lower the chances of getting heart disease, obesity and diabetes and that there is an “inverse association” between an increased intake of these foods and the mortality rates caused by heart disease.

Read: Plant-Based Fitness: Meet Hong Kong’s Vegan Lifting Crew

Lead image courtesy of NBA.

The post The First NBA Draft Pick Cade Cunningham Is the New Face of the Detroit Pistons. And Vegan Eggs. appeared first on Green Queen.

Global athleisure brand Lululemon has revealed what it calls the world’s first yoga accessories created from Mylo — a mushroom-based vegan leather created by biomaterials startup Bolt Threads. This alternative material is used to make Lululemon’s new yoga mats and bags.

Headquartered in Vancouver, Lululemon’s new yoga accessories are made with alternative vegan material. This is in line with the brand’s ambition to be sustainable and use innovative materials in its products to achieve the same.

What is Mylo?

The new products are part of Lululemon’s partnership with California-based Bolt Threads.

The biomaterials startup forged a consortium with leading brands including Lululemon, luxury fashion giant Kering, and sportswear company Adidas — it recreated a vegan version of its iconic Stan Smith sneakers with the mushroom leather. Animal-free high-end brand Stella McCartney is also a part of the consortium launching the world’s first bustier and trousers with Mylo.

Mylo is created from renewable mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms. The cruelty-free material is similar to traditional in feel and texture. Taking only two weeks to grow, it can be adapted to any kind of finishing, embossing, or color. This mycelium-based vegan leather helps eliminates the need for any animal or other petroleum plastic-based synthetic leathers.

Mushroom yoga mat

The new yoga products were developed by Lululemon’s Accessories Design team. Its new yoga mat offers a sustainable alternative to traditional mats. Inspired by the brand’s Take Form Mat, the woven Mylo mat contains 3D zoned alignment patterns.

“As a premium athletic brand, having innovative and proprietary fabrics and other materials that help guests feel their best to perform their best is something we’re proud of,” chief product officer at Lululemon, Sun Choe, said in a statement. “Sustainable innovation will continue to play a key role in the future of retail and product, and for us, leveraging a material like Mylo demonstrates our commitment to creating a healthier environment through lower-impact products, while also giving us the ability to reimagine iconic pieces in our line through a sustainability lens.”

Mushroom bags

The Lululemon Meditation and Yoga Mat Bag, and the Barrel Duffel Bag feature the Mylo material. From the woven handles to braided pulls, the company displays the material’s properties and functional uses. These bags will be available for purchase in early 2022.

Leveraging a material like Mylo demonstrates our commitment to creating a healthier environment through lower-impact products, while also giving us the ability to reimagine iconic pieces in our line through a sustainability lens

Sun Choe, chief product officer at Lululemon

Earth-friendly dyes and resale program

Apart from these new yoga accessories, Lululemon unveiled a sustainable collection featuring dyes made from upcycled orange and beet waste.

In addition, the company launched a “Lululemon Like New” re-commerce program. Through this initiative, customers can trade in their gently used clothes in exchange for an e-gift card. These products will be then cleaned to use again, and for those that can’t be reused, they will be sent for recycling.

This program will allow the brand to save around 50% of the product’s carbon footprint and 310 grams of waste. 

Read: Over Half Of U.S. Consumers Prefer Cruelty-Free Leather Alternatives Over Animal Leather, Study Finds

Lead image courtesy of lululemon.

The post Lululemon Just Launched the World’s First Mushroom Leather Yoga Mats appeared first on Green Queen.

Material science company Pangaia launched a new range of sustainable activewear called the Pangaia Gym, the brand’s first foray into this lifestyle category and using the latest science and technology, the collection features products made from bio-based nylon and stretch yarns to seaweed fiber.

Before its official launch on June 29, London-based Pangaia released a first look of its new collection of activewear which is renewable, bio-based and circular.

The Pangaia Gym collection provides an environmentally-friendly alternative to the activewear industry and at the same time, goes a step beyond than the majority of sustainable brands in this sector which use recycled synthetic fibers (largely recycled PET) and conventional elastane.

Biobased Nylon and Stretch Yarn

This collection is made from renewable resources and 90% or more of the end product is biobased. It showcases a 100% biobased nylon, without the use of any fossil fuels or petrochemicals. It is instead derived from renewable castor oil, a non-edible raw material.

Another component in the clothes is Roica V550, a stretch yarn that can be easily broken down by microorganisms into toxic-free elements in an environment rich with oxygen over the course of 5 years. This material has even won a Gold Material Health Certificate from Cradle-to-Cradle Product Innovation Institute, as well as Hohenstein Environment Compatibility Certification.

Seaweed fiber

Seaweed fiber is another 100% biobased element and this biodegradable eucalyptus lyocell with embedded seaweed particles is created in a closed-loop production system. This means that the process recycles water as well as reuses atleast 99% of the solvents as the raw materials do not need any freshwater irrigation, fertilisers or pesticides to grow.

bioWick and PPRMNT oil

In addition, Pangaia becomes the first company to unveil products using bioWick, a 100% biocarbon and biobased wicking treatment developed from microalgae, and even incorporates PPRMNT, a biobased durable odor control finish and broad-spectrum antimicrobial treatment obtained from the Mentha piperita plant. 

The Pangaia Gym collection will be available to purchase via its website from June 29, 2021.

Apart from these, in keeping with its sustainability commitments, Pangaia partnered with connected products innovator Eon to unveil ‘digital passports’ for its products to encourage transparency in the fashion industry as well as promote responsible consumer behaviour. It further joined forces with cleantech solutions firm Graviky Labs to launch a capsule showcasing AIR-INK, which has been derived from a component of air pollution that is hazardous for humans and the planet.

Lead image courtesy of Pangaia.

The post Pangaia Launches First Sustainable Activewear Collection Made From Seaweed Fiber appeared first on Green Queen.

Surf sportswear retail leader Rip Curl has announced a new partnership with Franco/U.S.-based recycling company TerraCycle, a Wetsuit Take Back Recycling Program enabling surfers to recycle their surf branded wetsuit across Australia at participating Rip Curl stores.

Australian company Rip Curl has launched a program where surfers across the country can recycle their surf branded wetsuit which they don’t use anymore at Rip Curl stores in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia.

Through this program, all the recycled rubber will be repurposed as part of the safety attenuation layer of soft fall matting that is built at playgrounds and outdoor gyms.

Customers can drop off their used wetsuits in the store free of charge and the select Rip Curl stores will accept any surf branded wetsuit except booties, gloves, hoods or heavy diving drysuits. For those who find it difficult to travel to the store in person or for those residing in Tasmania, South Australia, the Northern Territory or the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), the stores will accept the suits by post.

In a press release seen by Green Queen, environmental, social and governance manager at Rip Curl Shasta O’Loughlin said that one of the company’s core values is Community and Environment. “With this in mind we have spent over three years developing the most effective and environmentally conscious solution for wetsuit recycling available in Australia today. TerraCycle has a huge network and were able to assist us in finding the best possible solution for recycling used wetsuit neoprene. We are really excited about this partnership, and the reach that it can provide across Australia. Once the program has proven itself here at home, we are excited to explore a global expansion. We want to give all surfers the opportunity to recycle their old wetsuits.”

Rip Curl creates products for surfers, by surfers, and we want to ensure we extend the life of those products and repurpose them into a second commodity

Shasta O’Loughlin, environmental, social and governance manager of Rip Curl

General Manager of TerraCycle Australia and New Zealand Jean Bailliard said of the news: “The program was [sic] a great way to support sustainably-minded consumers.”

O’Loughlin added: “We first launched a local wetsuit recycling program at the Rip Curl Flagship Store in Torquay, Victoria, back in April of 2018. The response was overwhelming, and the demand was clearly there. Rip Curl creates products for surfers, by surfers, and we want to ensure we extend the life of those products and repurpose them into a second commodity. Our nation-wide expansion and partnership with TerraCycle is the next big step in this space.”

Participating Rip Curl stores include Torquay, Sorrento (foreshore) in Victoria; Byron Bay, North Wollongong, Narrabeen, Ulladulla in New South Wales; Burleigh Heads in Queensland; and Scarborough in Western Australia.

TerraCycle regularly makes headlines for its Loop initiative, a reusable packaging e-commerce platform and framework that has seen the company partner with fast food Burger King, beauty retail giant Ulta Beauty and even retail behemoth Carrefour in Paris tested out two stores to provide a range of groceries in refillable packaging to its consumers.

Read: Return & Reuse: 8 Circular Packaging Companies To Watch In The Race To Close The Waste Loop

Lead image courtesy of Stab.

The post Rip Curl Launches First Wetsuit Take Back Recycling Program Across Australia With TerraCycle appeared first on Green Queen.

Reports of global sportswear behemoth Adidas and sustainable shoe company Allbirds working together to develop a near-zero carbon footprint shoe dominated last year and now the wait is over, as the sportswear giant and the sustainable fashion upstart have partnered on a running sports shoe dubbed Futurecraft.Footprint, which boasts a carbon footprint of 2.94kg CO2, which they claim is the lowest carbon footprint ever recorded for a shoe.

The footwear industry alone emits 700 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, and the Adidas X Allbirds’ collaboration is an effort to bring this number way down and create environmentally shoes that are better for the planet as well as for the people.

For 12-months, the duo worked to change their manufacturing and supply chain techniques to create a low carbon footprint shoe and decided to transform its Tier 1 factories’ energy into using renewables, neutralized its shipping emissions and used less air in its packaging leading to overall less weight.

The result is the unveiling of the Futurecraft.Footprint with a carbon footprint of 2.94kg CO2e that is calculated analyzing the total amount of GHGs utilised in producing the shoe.

When compared to a traditional running shoe that produces about 12.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions as calculated by Allbirds along with another MIT study that found that a “typical pair of running shoes” produce “30 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions,” the shoe from this collaboration can be considered as the ‘world’s lowest ever carbon footprint’ shoe with Adidas going one step forward and stating that the new pair has 63% fewer emissions than its own Adizero RC3 sneaker.

Based on Adidas’ proprietary performance cushioning tech like its Lightstrike midsole, the shoe is made of a compound that utilizes Allbirds’ sugarcane-based SweetFoam lending a low-carbon natural component to the footwear. In addition, the upper material is created with 70% recycled polyester and 30% natural Tencel, a material developed out of wood pulp that provides a lightweight upper built for high performance.

In a press release, executive board member of global brands at Adidas, Brian Grevy, said: “By truly co-creating and providing each other with open access to knowledge and resources — such as Allbirds’ knowledge of carbon calculation and experience with natural materials, and Adidas’ capabilities in manufacturing and performance footwear — this is a call to action for other brands, and a milestone in the sports industry achieving carbon neutrality.”

By truly co-creating and providing each other with open access to knowledge and resources, this is a call to action for other brands, and a milestone in the sports industry achieving carbon neutrality

Brian Grevy, executive board member of global brands, Adidas

According to Adidas, an initial launch will see 100 pairs be dropped by way of raffles for its Creators Club members, with a larger release slated later this year of 10,000 pairs with a much widespread release expected to start by spring 2022.

The Futurecraft.Footprint is a part of Adidas’s own Futurecraft line that employs alternative innovations and technologies that change the way sportswear has been produced and consumed with other projects like one that combines 3D printing with robotic automation, and another which is a recyclable Loop initiative.

In other news, Allbirds recently open-sourced its version of a carbon footprint calculator that can be found at FreeTheFootprint.com for the entire fashion industry in an effort to reduce the overall carbon footprint it produces and even encouraged the sector to use carbon footprint labels for its products.

In addition, it has joined forces with Clean Agency, an environmental consultancy company to calculate the environmental impact of each of its products from the raw materials used to the end of life with consumers able to access all this data online promoting transparency and sustainability in the fashion industry.

Lead image courtesy of Adidas.

The post Futurecraft.Footprint: Adidas X Allbirds Unveil ‘Lowest Ever Carbon Footprint’ Performance Shoe appeared first on Green Queen.