Sixty percent of pro soccer kit is burned
Team clothing is typically made about two years early, so organizations over-order by 20 to 40 percent.
Global News Podcast · How will violent unrest influence France's election?According to Joanna Chykowa, who set up the redistribution project FiveThread, "sixty percent of all professional football kit is incinerated." She calls it "literally setting this product on fire."
The over-ordering happens because so much kit, the team clothing issued to players, "is produced about two years in advance," before squads are chosen. That forces organizations to over-order by 20 to 40 percent to cover every possibility.
Much of the surplus is then burned rather than given away because some organizations are prohibited from reusing kit over trademark and performance concerns, or simply lack a system to pass it on. Athletes can also feel protective of kit they earned, Chykowa says, even as families tell her they cannot afford kit for their children to play.
For scale, an estimated 20 million kits went to waste after this year's World Cup, not necessarily burned, and 100,000 tons of sportswear of all kinds goes to landfill every year.
Questions people ask
What happens to the kit that is saved?
One effort, called FiveThread, is selling surplus Team GB Olympic clothing online. As shoppers buy what is listed, more items are added. The money raised goes to the sports organization's trust or to charity.
Does this include the replica shirts fans buy?
No. The figures cover team-issue kit made for players and staff, not retail shirts. Replica shirts are manufactured separately for fans. The surplus here comes from ordering player stock before squads are chosen.