| Sub-targets | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | Target 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic consumer shopping bags (stores, tons) | 400 | 189 | 99 | 0 |
| Plastic consumer shopping bags recycled content (%) | 80% | 80% | 80% | Zero plastic bags |
| Plastic hangers used in stores (stores, tons) | 112 | 134 | 160 | Switch to recycled content or wood |
| Plastic hangers with 100% recycled content (%) | 51% | 97% | 99.9% | 100% |
| Primary and transit* plastic packaging (tons) | 557.7 | 2,297 | Switch to recycled content or paper | |
| Primary and transit plastic packaging with recycled content (%) | 100% | 99.6% | 100% | |
| Offices that have eliminated single-use plastic cups and cutlery (%) | 0% | 88% | 91% | 100% |
Plastic pollution of our oceans is one of the most urgent challenges to sustainability of our time. As a company that uses polymers for most of its products, we have a special responsibility to work on this issue. Avoiding plastic pollution is one of the three pillars of the Fashion Pact, of which PUMA is a founding member. Also, several countries and regions have formed initiatives to ban certain types of single-use plastics or plastic bags.
Therefore, we have added Plastics and the Oceans to our 10FOR25 sustainability strategy as well as our sustainability bonus targets.
Plastic shopping bags and single-use plastics aggravate the problem of plastic pollution significantly. By eliminating them from our stores and office environment, we can set a positive example for our consumers and colleagues and at the same time reduce our use of plastics by several hundred tons per year.
In recent years we switched our shopping bags to FSC-certified paper bags or polyethylene bags with 80% recycled content. During 2020 our Retail division devised a detailed plan to completely phase out plastic bags from our owned and operated PUMA stores globally.
Our stores ordered 430 tons of consumer-facing polyethylene bags in 2019 and 400 tons in 2020. In 2021 our stores ordered 189 tons. Finally, in 2022 our stores ordered 99 tons of consumer-facing plastic bags. As of January 1st, 2023, we have replaced all polyethylene bags for consumer use with paper bags or durable multi-use bags for sale in our owned and operated PUMA stores.
At the same time, we switched other plastic items in our retail stores, such as hangers and shoe fixtures, to recycled polymers or FSC certified wood. We also started working on more environmentally friendly solutions for our B2B product packaging for apparel and accessories, which is also based on polyethylene bags. As a result of these efforts, we switched our transit packaging B2B plastic bags to 100% recycled content. In addition, we piloted transit bags made from paper in the USA. For 2023 we plan to roll out transit bags made from FSC-certified paper for selected, more sustainable products.
According to our zero plastic target for primary product plastic packaging, during 2021 we also switched most plastic primary packaging B2C to paper (we reported 245 tons of plastic primary packaging used in 2020). At our offices, we have challenged our catering partners and employees to avoid single-use plastics such as coffee cups, lids, stirring sticks, cutlery or straws. In 2021 already 88% of our offices globally have eliminated single use plastic cups and cutlery. This figure increased slightly to 91% in 2022.
On a product level we piloted a fully biodegradable version of our most iconic sneaker, the PUMA SUEDE. This pilot includes the use of a fully biodegradable outsole made from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).
For more information on RE:SUEDE, please refer to the Circularity section of this report.
PUMA joined The Microfiber Consortium (TMC) as one of the signatory members to understand and address the environmental concerns for fiber fragments (microfiber) as generated from natural and synthetic clothing during manufacture and the consumer use phase in the industry.
Microfibers originating from synthetic fibers can have an environmental impact and are a challenge for the industry. With this, PUMA has put more focus on testing synthetic materials, such as polyester. In 2022 we continued with microfiber shedding tests, with 12 such tests conducted on selected 100% polyester fabrics as per TMC test method. The results indicate that the average filter change in mass (g) and mass percentage for the 12 fabrics tested by PUMA is lower as compared to the average on the TMC Microfiber Data Portal. Specifically, PUMA's average filter change in mass was 0.0030 g and 0.0460%, compared to the database average of 0.0036 g and 0.0489%, respectively.
We have received feedback from TMC regarding the shedding data, and we understand that analyzing it is complex and ongoing. So far, there isn't a clear trend showing which yarn or structure type sheds more among the signatories. TMC has requested more data entries, and we will continue to participate in and support this study as an industry.
PUMA worked in the TMC task team with other industry representatives to develop a guideline: ‘Control of fiber fragmentation, within textile manufacturing wastewater’. The final draft is awaiting open consultation by different stakeholders, such as the ZDHC Foundation, prior to public release. PUMA will review the official version of the guideline upon release. PUMA has also participated in the development of biodegradability reports on the available test methods and claims. This could support alignment within the industry.
In September 2021, TMC released the 2030 roadmap. It laid down its commitment with clear accountable outputs - enabling signatories from across the industry to take meaningful, science-based, coordinated action on fiber fragmentation from natural and synthetic textiles. PUMA will continue to support the TMC roadmap and commitment, including building understanding by contributing to research data on fiber fragmentation, reducing fiber fragmentation by adopting mitigation actions once practically available from the industry, driving progress by participating in task teams and scaling global uptake.
