Take Part In Nike’s Move To Zero Initiative Toward A Greener Planet

It’s no secret that sportswear giant Nike absolutely dominate the market. Through cleverly selling not only commodities, but an entire lifestyle, Nike have continued to take top spot as the market leader of the sportswear industry. Inspiring athletes worldwide through best-in-class innovation and that iconic ‘Just Do It’ slogan we can spot a mile off, there’s one element of this Oregon-based brands journey that might be slightly lesser known – their Move to Zero campaign.

While we’re used to Nike repeatedly delivering high-heat, you probably weren’t aware of their efforts to tackle it, too. Nike did some research on the astonishing rising rates of climate change by partnering with researchers from Climate Impact Lab, to figure out the correlation between rising temperatures and athlete performance. While warmer climates in tropical locations may aid world-class athletes like Naomi Osaka train, to reach the best of her tennis abilities, rising temperatures mean that said athletes are too often forced to cope in exhausting conditions.

It’s also important to remember those cold-weather sports that this rise in temperature affects, like snowboarding. Not only do athletes experience a reduction in days (weeks, even) of snow, but poor snow-quality also increases risk of injury.

Without taking action, these almost-unbearable hot climates will reach even higher temperatures. And “If there is no planet, there is no sport,” as Nike put it perfectly, which is why they’re bettering their efforts to give athletes a more promising future.

Now, we know that sustainability has become an absolute marketing buzzword as of late. Tonnes of brands have hopped on the compassion train (especially since Covid-19) in order to encourage an emotional connection with the consumer to essentially, drive more dollar bills.

However, when it comes to Nike, the needs of the athlete have always remained a core focus – from investing in the power of people to help move the world forward, to designing the world’s first hands-free shoe to cater to people all over who struggle with a shoe lace – genuine care for the consumer is not new to Nike. So, with this need for climate action bigger than ever before, it’s only right for the market leader to up their efforts.

Nike are on a mission, and it’s a biggie. In their pledge towards zero carbon and zero waste, Nike aim to help protect the future of sport via pretty impressive targets…

They’re releasing a monthly Impact Report on longer term targets and measures, like sustainable development goals (SDGs). Nike’s 2025 targets are as follows:

As a way to meet these measures, Nike’s Move to Zero focus was born, reshaping the way they source, process and manufacture materials.

From using low-impact materials, to minimizing the waste in the process of creating to products, right through to the recyclable packaging, Nike have left no stone unturned.

Boasting a sustainable range with new products added to on the regular, you’ll find that all apparel is made from at least 55% recycled content, with shoes being made from at least 20% recycled content. From sportswear, to tracksuits to sneakers, you’ll find iconic models like the VaporMax, Blazer and even the Air Jordan 1 now boasting sustainable materials.

You should also get to know Nike’s new Space Hippie model – inspired by life on Mars, every element of this shoe was designed with the planet in mind. As well as using their own ‘space junk’ (aka, recycled scrap metal from factory floors), the Flyknit yarn upper on these futuristic kicks are made from 85-90% recycled content! Plastic bottles and material scraps never looked so good.

We’ve rounded up an edit of our fave Move to Zero products, make from recycled materials below, and you can read more about Nike’s Move to Zero focus here.