Nike has always been a brand of inspiration and strong values. Over the past two years, they doubled their efforts to increase the sustainability of their products and help care for the world. Their team has shown that using your voice and actions to make a change matters. Recently, they launched their Supplier Climate Action Program which focuses on reducing carbon. In addition, they are also striving to reduce their waste. After hearing their story, we felt inspired by their efforts and wanted to share the impact their change has made for the better.
2020 Sustainability Targets
2020 was a hectic year and challenging to predict. However, Nike maintained their goals and exceeded as many as possible. Many of these goals began in 2015, giving them five years to reach their objectives and make a difference for our environment. This five-year journey shows their commitment to investing in people, our planet, and in building the community. Today, we are focusing mostly on the environmental changes and impacts that Nike has implemented over the past few years.
Nike’s 2020 achievements in water, carbon, and waste reduction have been phenomenal. Part of how they were able to attain these ambitious goals was by consolidating their source base to suppliers that shared their commitment to sustainability. Nike also conducted regular announced and unannounced audits to track the social and environmental performance of their Tier 1 finished goods factories. Additionally, they worked with the Fair Labor Association (FLA) to find sustainable solutions among many other organizations built on helping create a sustainable future.
Water
For their water reduction target, they achieved a 30% reduction, which exceeded their original target of 20%. This 30% reduction translates to 40 billion liters of water saved by their suppliers. They achieved this by reducing their freshwater usage for dyeing and finishing textiles through manufacturing efficiencies and wastewater recycling.
Carbon
When it comes to their carbon footprint they are currently using 100% renewable energy for their facilities in the US and Canada. For their global facilities, Nike has been powered by 48% renewable energy in 2020. Since 2015, Nike footwear suppliers have achieved a near 10% reduction in energy consumption for each pair of shoes they produce. Their goal for global renewable energy in all of their facilities was 100%, and they met that goal in both the US and Canada.
Waste
Throughout 2020, 99.9% of manufacturing scraps were diverted from landfills to their Tier 1 finished goods factories for use and recycled into footwear. Since 2015, Nike recycled over 47 million kilograms of manufacturing scraps into new footwear. Nike’s waste-to-landfill footwear manufacturing target was to get down to 0%. They met that goal with their final result being 0.1%.
Other Targets
Nike has many other goals that they have taken on. However, these are the goals that we would like to focus on because of the massive impact that they had on building a sustainable future. Some of the other goals they are working towards are representation, community investment, and black community commitment. So, not only is Nike looking to create a sustainable future, but they are looking to also create an inclusive future that promotes fair treatment in the workplace.
The Impact
Nike’s focus is on people, the planet, and play. Therefore, the Move to Zero is designed to help the environment and to inspire others to take on the challenge. Having a large company like Nike join in on the effort to protect the planet will lessen the amount of waste in the landfills and carbon in the air. Overall, their numbers are immense: One example is the recycled 47 million kilograms of manufacturing scraps. That volume of scraps is now away from our landfills helping our planet breathe a little easier. As they continue to lessen their footprint, hopefully, other companies follow their lead. Then we will surely see the effects of their effort. Nike’s ambitious effort will make a great impact for generations to come!
2025 Sustainability Targets
Nike hasn’t stopped here with their targets. They are setting up goals starting 2020 that are ambitious, attainable, and ready to reach by 2025. These targets are industry-leading and aim to improve the sports industry as a whole. Nike has 29 goals that will help make their company and the world a better place. There are two main ones set to help the planet for the year 2025:
- 70% Absolute reduction in GHG emission in owned or operated facilities
- 10x the amount of finished product waste refurbished, recycled, or donated
The Future of Nike
At Tennis Express, we’re excited to promote Nike products and their global efforts to help the planet and local communities. Check out some of their new product lines, and if you were inspired by these changes, then join them in their efforts to Move to Zero. Nike and their teams have really shown the difference we can make when we work together to improve our sustainability.
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