BY michael doughty

The current model of sportswear is broken.

Brands make things, people buy them and invariably once they can no longer perform they are disposed of, ending up in landfill, becoming incinerated or offshored. Invariably these products are almost entirely plastic based too and can take hundreds of years to biodegrade.
90% of all footwear products currently end up in landfill and global textile waste is expected to increase 60 percent annually until 2030. (Source: The Guardian)

So why have we invested in our supply chain and invested so heavily in technology?

The current process of post purchase care, repair and recycling is incredibly disconnected and frankly a clunky customer experience. How are we going to encourage new and better relationships with our belongings if there is so much friction in the process? 
We need to see old products, no longer as disposable but as gateways to new ones. In order to do so we must create an experience that is of additional value to people and builds a unique connection for them with their sportswear.

At hylo, we believe in a fully circular future where products are made entirely from renewable material sources. Where products are cared for and repaired. Where products are made to last. Where products are made to be remade. A future where we own the journey of our products from beginning to end. That's why we’ve created hyloop. 

hyloop is our (more life) platform - developed to help our community extend the lifespan of their products through care, repair and recycling. 

Since hylo was established in 2020, we have been working tirelessly on solutions to extend the life of our products and these solutions are never fixed or the same. They vary from product to product - as each product is uniquely different. 

Everything we make has unique performance credentials, unique solutions for care and repair. There is no one size fits all solution for the end of a product’s life but we’re committed to delivering circular solutions at scale. Frankly, there’s no other option if we are to beat the odds of climate change. With each month that goes past, we are working on new, exciting and different solutions to increase the lifespan of our products. The ultimate goal is to close the loop for good.

The key factor to changing from a linear to a circular model of consumption?

In order to take back our products, we need your help. When you’re done with your hylo products, you’re not really done. Engage with hyloop by tapping your phone on your products hyloop logo to learn how you can give more life to your shoes and clothing.
If you have any ideas on how we can improve the hyloop afterlife program, then drop us an email:
ask.impact@hyloathletics.com