Kits for a Better World: Uniting Football and The Planet
Kits for the world collects and reuse football kits in football for good projects around the world. By partnering with major sports apparel companies grassroots and pro football clubs, high street sports retail companies, we seek to generate sponsorship and create a positive impact in communities where access to proper sporting equipment is limited. Through this campaign, we hope to promote sustainability, inclusivity, and the power of football to bring about positive change.
The global sports apparel market is worth an estimated $195.5 billion in 2022. This market is expected to grow to $271.77 billion by 2030.
Some facts about why reusing a football kit is important
- The football kit market is a major part of the global sports apparel market. It is estimated that over 1 billion football kits are circulating with a percentage ending up in landfill. Which also have an adverse impact on the environment.
- According to a 2022 report by MarketWatch, the global official football kits market was valued at USD 11.6 billion in 2021 and is anticipated to reach USD 17.1 billion by 2029.
- An average estimation of number of football kits produced each year could be around 165 million… upwards.
- In 2021, Bayern Munich (Germany) accounted for the highest football or soccer shirt sales in the world at 3.25 million units. At roughly 1.95 million jerseys sold, Manchester United (England) ranked fourth that year. Football kit sponsorships are a lucrative source of income for football teams, with many clubs in the English Premier League receiving several millions in kit sponsorship deals.
Source: Statista
- However, it is possible that the number of football kits produced so far could exceed 1 billion if we include unofficial football kits, such as those produced by counterfeiters and grassroots football over the world. However, there is no reliable data on the number of unofficial football kits produced each year.
- The majority of football kits are made from polyester, which is a non-biodegradable material. This means that football kits can take hundreds of years to decompose in landfill.
It is worth noting that out of all the sports globally football is the biggest market. -
The circular economy entails getting the most out of materials, keeping products and resources in use. It is estimated that over 600,000 tonnes of sports apparel ends up in landfill each year. This is equivalent to the weight of 100,000 elephants.
Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation* report titled “A New Textiles Economy
The environmental consequences associated with the sports apparel sector are increasingly alarming. The manufacturing process of football kits demands substantial quantities of valuable resources such as water, energy, and raw materials. Furthermore, the improper disposal of football kits in landfills further exacerbates climate change and adds to the burden of air pollution.
Help TO reuse football kits and reduce environmental impact
Every year, millions of football kits are discarded, ending up in landfills or incinerators. This represents a significant environmental problem, as sports apparel is often made from non-biodegradable materials, such as polyester. By taking these steps, as shown below we can help to reduce the environmental impact of textile waste.
Become a partner and sponsor kits for the world
Your sponsorship of our reuse a football kit program can help to reduce this environmental impact. By sponsoring our program, you can help us to collect and reuse football kits, giving them a new life and keeping them out of landfills.
In addition to the environmental benefits, sponsoring our reuse a football kit program can also provide you with a number of other benefits, including:
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- Increased brand awareness: Your sponsorship of our program will help to raise awareness of your brand among football fans.
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- Positive PR: Your sponsorship of our program will be seen as a positive gesture by the public, helping to improve your brand image.
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- We believe: Our reuse a football kit program is a win-win for everyone involved. Your Company, the projects we support & the planet
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- Social Impact: Reusing football kits in development projects has the power to transform lives. By providing NGO’s and charities and youth organisations with these kits, help front line charities to inspire participation and create opportunities for social inclusion, promote physical health, and foster teamwork and leadership skills.
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- Environmental Benefits: By reusing football kits instead of constantly producing new ones, we reduce the environmental strain caused by manufacturing processes. This approach minimises resource consumption, waste generation, and carbon emissions associated with the production and disposal of sports apparel. The global sports apparel market for all sports, makes up 10% of human emissions of which the football segment is the largest contributor.
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- Cost-effectiveness: Reusing kits offers financial advantages for your organisation & organisations working with limited resources. Rather than allocating significant funds towards purchasing new kits, we can redirect those resources to educational programs, infrastructure development, and other critical initiatives that support sustainable community development. Also organisations that support Kits for the world can also receive a financial advantage
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- Cultural Exchange: Reusing football kits allows for cultural exchange and bridges the gap between communities. When kits are donated the exchanged fosters connections and understanding between diverse groups, creating a sense of unity and promoting mutual respect. Which has the potential to foster other opportunities to grow and share a connected goal.
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- Kit Donations: We have and continue to establish partnerships with organisations and initiatives that focus on underserved communities. Kits for the world donate kits free of charge to the projects, which enables us to actively contribute directly to sustainable development and create lasting change.
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- Sustainable Actions: Kits for the world embrace a circular economy approach, ensuring kits have a longer lifespan. When we work with projects we stipulate that a kit lending library is one of the conditions of the donation. This keeps the kits at the hart of the project and fosters team cohesion and encouragement to keep participating in the charities front line work. From 2023 we are offering clubs the option to plant a tree. In addition, We also encourage projects to upcycle kits at the destinations if the kits are no longer viable.
We believe that our reuse a football kit program is a win-win for everyone involved. By sponsoring our program, you can help to reduce the environmental impact of football, while also benefiting your own organisations and triple bottom line.
Help us to Help…
Want to become sponsor, please contact us at
contacus@kitsfortheworld.org
Thank you for your consideration!
