Portland – October 16, 2026 -- The Green Sports Alliance has released its Sustainable Apparel Playbook, a guide that shows sports organizations how to cut environmental impact across the full apparel lifecycle while supporting revenue growth, cultural influence and customer satisfaction.
Case studies cover procurement, end-of-life and fan marketing
The playbook draws on professional and collegiate sports examples across product procurement, end-of-life solutions, community engagement and impact marketing. The Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix worked with its local school district on a sustainable fashion contest that reimagined outdated race suits as fashion pieces. Oakland Roots' Upcycled Fashion Project teamed with local students to create pieces from outdated jerseys and other upcycled items.
Sharks and Cavaliers turn sustainability into merchandise lines
The San Jose Sharks upcycled old team apparel into a new merchandise line for fans. The Cleveland Cavaliers partnered with a local apparel producer to sell a fully domestic collection made from sustainable materials in their team store.
The Alliance points to three levers for teams: requesting sustainable materials and production from vendors, managing outdated apparel responsibly, and influencing the culture of sports apparel.
Corporate contributors and a 13-organization advisory board back the guide
Contributors include USPA, 3R Sustainability, Levy Restaurants, Delaware North, Circ, D'niche, WM and Worldly. The Leadership Advisory board draws on 13 organizations, among them USGBC, World Wildlife Fund, Textile Exchange, Fibershed and Earth Day.
Phoenix symposium on November 4 will present playbook findings
The Alliance will host the Fan Engagement and Sustainable Apparel Symposium at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, on November 4, 2026. The event will share best practices and case studies from the experts behind this year's playbooks.