Green Sports Alliance announces the release of the Sustainable Apparel Playbook

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Green Sports Alliance announced the release of the Sustainable Apparel Playbook, which highlights practical approaches for sports organizations to reduce environmental impact across the entire apparel lifecycle–while supporting revenue growth, cultural influence, and customer satisfaction.

This resource includes sports industry case studies, outlining how professional and collegiate teams advance sustainable apparel through product procurement, end-of-life solutions, community engagement, and impact marketing. The Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix's case study highlights collaboration with their local school district in a sustainable fashion contest to reimagine outdated race suits into fashion pieces. Oakland Roots' Upcycled Fashion Project also collaborated with local students to create unique pieces from outdated jerseys and upcycled items. The San Jose Sharks upcycled old Sharks apparel into a new merchandise line for fans, while the Cleveland Cavaliers partnered with a local apparel producer to offer a fully domestic and sustainable material merchandise collection in their team store. There is tremendous opportunity for sports organizations to reduce environmental impact by requesting sustainable materials and production from vendors, managing outdated apparel responsibly, and influencing the culture of sports apparel.

Sustainable Apparel contributors include USPA, 3R Sustainability, Levy Restaurants, Delaware North, Circ, D'niche, WM, and Worldly.

The Sustainable Apparel Playbook's Leadership Advisory board is made up of representatives from the following organizations: USGBC, Atlanta Sustainable Fashion Week, Fibershed, World Wildlife Fund, Earth Day, Textile Exchange, REVERB, SOHOCOLAB, The 5 Gyres Institute, The Sustainable Design Project, Informed Collective, Products of Change, and Sortile.

The Sustainable Apparel Playbook is available for download at https://www.greensportsalliance.org/resources/playbooks

On November 4, 2026, the Green Sports Alliance will host the Fan Engagement and Sustainable Apparel Symposium at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, to share best practices and case studies from the experts behind this year's playbooks. Tickets are available at https://app.glueup.com/event/fan-engagement-sustainable-apparel-symposium-hosted-by-the-green-sports-alliance-178985/

About Green Sports Alliance
The Green Sports Alliance leverages the cultural and market influence of sports to promote healthy, sustainable communities where we live, work, and play. The Alliance convenes sports teams, venues, leagues, collegiate athletic programs, corporate partners, and non-profits to advance environmental stewardship, sustainable venue operations, and social responsibility across the global sports industry.

SOURCE GREEN SPORTS ALLIANCE