Nike inches towards 10% rubber recycling goal

Beaverton, Oregon - NIke recycled 689 tonnes, or 0.9%, of the 78,896 tonnes of rubber used by the company’s manufacturing operations in 2021, the sportswear & related products brand has estimated.

The recycling rate represents a slight improvement on the 564 tonnes, or 0.7%, of the 76,141 tonnes of rubber consumed in 2020, Nike’s FY21 Impact Report shows.

The latest figures, though, are well short of the 2025 goal of ‘10% recycled rubber’ set for Nike’s footwear business, which also aims to significantly reduce the amount of rubber
used in its shoes.

“We aim to move to high-recycled percentage formulations that maintain material benefits while lowering environmental impact,” Nike stated in its 2021 environmental impact report.

Noting that recycled rubber can degrade performance and durability, Nike is working with rubber compound suppliers “to unlock high-performing recycled rubber options that meet our design and durability expectations.”

Nike also wants to reduce rubber usage “through additive design and manufacturing while also exploring other materials and methods to replicate the performance of rubber at a lower impact.”