SUSTAINABLE
JERSEYS AND TEAMWEAR.

Not only do we create custom designs for every team, but we also offer jerseys and team apparel made from sustainable materials and produced under fair conditions. Learn more here about what sustainability means to us and how we put it into practice.

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OUR APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE JERSEYS AND TEAMWEAR.

We offer a variety of sustainable jersey styles made from recycled polyester, among other things. That’s because jerseys made from recycled polyester give plastic a new purpose and prevent it from ending up in landfills and the ocean. In addition, the environmental footprint of recycled polyester is significantly better—while maintaining nearly the same quality. Jerseys made from recycled polyester are therefore definitely a sustainable option. However, it is also a fact that recycled polyester does not come without its drawbacks. FashionUnited explores the pros and cons in detail. Recycled plastic is also often misunderstood as a panacea. This is partly because many companies use it for greenwashing, as a report by DW Planet illustrates using Adidas as an example, particularly in the context of “ocean plastic.” From our perspective, sustainable jerseys are therefore not necessarily made from recycled polyester, but are primarily produced to meet demand and only in the quantities that are actually needed to conserve resources and protect the environment. So keep reading.
Jerseys and team apparel are usually purchased in stores, from catalogs, or through online shops. So your jersey was actually produced long before you decided to buy it. That’s good news for you, because within a few days, your jersey will be ready—complete with your club logo, number, and name—and waiting for you in your locker. But it’s not good for the environment. Because that means a sportswear manufacturer has to estimate in advance how many jerseys (and other products) it will sell of a particular model. Since it can’t do that exactly, textile waste is generated. In other words, products that have already been mass-produced but not sold, which in the worst case are simply thrown away, like the Atacama Desert in Chile. Not to mention that the pre-produced jerseys all look the same and were made not just for you, but for thousands of other teams, in order to sell as many as possible. That’s exactly why jerseys from mass-market catalogs always look so monochromatic and boring—because they have to suit as many teams as possible. But we don’t want boring jerseys (or team apparel), nor do we want textile waste. And that’s exactly why we design our jerseys completely custom for each team and only produce them when you order—and only as many as you need. That’s why our jerseys are significantly more sustainable than those from other sportswear manufacturers. And they’re much nicer, too.
Sports brands release new jersey and teamwear designs every season. You order a new set for the whole team through a retailer, online store, or catalog and are happy with your purchase. Eventually, you might find yourself missing a single pair of shorts or a jersey. But if that model is already sold out or has been discontinued, you can’t order a replacement. Sooner or later, you’ll be forced to order a complete set for the whole team in a different style, even though it would actually be enough to just reorder individual items.

We’re putting an end to exactly this kind of unnecessary waste. Because we don’t have discontinued styles. You can reorder individual products at any time—even years later. This prevents textile waste, saves money, and demonstrates that sustainably designed jerseys and teamwear offer many benefits for everyone.
Sustainable jerseys shouldn’t be defined solely by their environmental footprint; they should also take into account not only the environment but also the people involved in their production. That’s why fair production—with good pay and safe working conditions—is a second key factor. 95% of our products are therefore manufactured exclusively in Portugal. “Made in the EU” isn’t enough for us, because working conditions are poor, especially in Eastern Europe. The Fair Wear Foundation classifies countries like Bulgaria, Romania, and even Italy as production countries with a risk of unfair working conditions. Portugal and Spain, on the other hand, are countries with a low risk (more info here and here).
When measured against the cost of living, wages in Eastern Europe are often lower than in Southeast Asia. Under the title “Starvation Wages in Eastern Europe’s Clothing Closet” , MDR has published an interesting report on this topic.
Consequently, many sustainability-focused companies operate in Portugal. There, for example, workers are unionized. The union plays a key role in educating workers about their rights and, as a central authority, ensuring that these rights are upheld. In addition to strict labor laws, regulated working hours, and paid vacation time, Portugal also offers 14 months’ salary.
By concentrating our production in Portugal, we are also making a conscious choice to manufacture in a country where, at times, 100% of electricity demand is met by renewable energy sources and which phased out coal by 2021—not 2030.

You can find even more reasons for choosing Portugal as a production location in our blog post.
Short supply chains and minimal waste also help keep our environmental impact as low as possible. This is another reason why we manufacture primarily in Portugal. By the way, our recycled polyester is produced in Spain. The yarn needed for this is also made there. Producing as many components of a product as possible within a single region is an important aspect of sustainability. That’s why our jerseys and teamwear wouldn’t necessarily be more sustainable if we produced them in Germany. For more information on this topic, check out the article “Made in Germany: Is Local Textile Production Always More Sustainable?” from the online magazine Fashion Changers. In addition, we ship all our products carbon-neutral.
When you wash your jersey, tiny particles (known as microplastics) break off from the fabric fibers and end up in wastewater, eventually flowing into rivers, lakes, and the ocean. And to this day, there is no way to recapture these microplastics. For this reason, we recommend that all customers use a laundry bag designed to prevent microplastic pollution when washing any of our products. Check out GUPPYFRIEND . Ultimately, it’s not just about producing jerseys sustainably, but also using them sustainably. Please help us with this. You can find more on this topic here.
When you order sustainable jerseys from us, you’ll notice upon delivery that we don’t ship them in plastic packaging as is customary. After all, what would be the point of striving for greater sustainability, offering jerseys made from recycled polyester, and then packaging the finished products in plastic? Instead, we use tissue paper. Tissue paper is made from plant fibers and is derived 100% from renewable raw materials. Furthermore, its production requires no chlorine or acid whatsoever. The tissue paper can be disposed of with paper waste and recycled accordingly. Only in exceptional cases (e.g., for socks and knee-highs) do we have to resort to plastic film to ensure the product’s protection during delivery. However, we are working on a solution to eliminate plastic packaging entirely.
We would love to have our products certified by the Fair Wear Foundation. Currently, however, this is only possible for companies with an annual turnover of €10 million or more. As a small manufacturer of jerseys and teamwear, we are currently far from reaching that threshold. However, Fair Wear classifies our main production site in Portugal, as well as Poland and Spain as secondary sites for select products, as “low-risk production countries,” thereby confirming our conscious choice.
Side note: According to Fair Wear, Romania, Bulgaria, and Italy are not considered “low-risk production locations.” This further supports our view that “Made in Europe” does not provide reliable information about fair production conditions.
Outside of Europe, Fair Wear is primarily active in countries where there is a high risk of inhumane working conditions. These include Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, North Macedonia, Romania, Tunisia, Turkey, and Vietnam.
When choosing our business account, we opted for GLS Bank, which has a strictly sustainable portfolio and has won several awards as “Most Sustainable Bank of the Year.” This ensures that our funds cannot be used by other banks for unethical or unsustainable investments. GLS Bank uses the funds at its disposal to invest in sustainable, social, and economic projects. Why not consider whether GLS Bank might also be an option for you, whether as an organization or an individual?

HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO.

Fast and cheap—that’s the mindset we’ve grown accustomed to. Thanks to retail giants like Amazon, we expect every purchase to be delivered the next day and to be able to choose the cheapest option from among various sellers beforehand. For most people, the main factors influencing a purchase decision are still price and quick availability—especially when it comes to sports products. But this is exactly where we need to change our mindset if we want to consume sustainably. And that’s exactly what you can do.

The price makes all the difference.

Over the past few decades, we’ve grown accustomed to ever-lower prices on many products. A major cost factor for jerseys and team apparel is production. By shifting production to low-wage countries with a low standard of living, manufacturers continue to offer low prices. It’s not uncommon to find a jersey, shorts, and socks for 20 to 30 euros. Often, there are even deals under 15 euros. Without even looking at the label, the price says a lot about the origin and production conditions. However, sustainable consumption means that price isn’t the deciding factor in a purchase. Rather, we need the willingness to invest in fairly produced products made with high-quality, sustainable materials and to pay a higher price for them. In short: a reversal of price consciousness, from cheap to fair. And that is exactly what you can do—support us and other manufacturers of fair and sustainable products in gaining a foothold with your help.

Consume more mindfully and patiently.

Changing the world through consumption? For many, that’s hard to imagine. But consumption is already changing the world—though, unfortunately, often for the worse. And this is exactly where you can make a decisive difference. We have little influence over what politicians decide. But when we buy something, we support the manufacturer’s mission. If a sportswear manufacturer is primarily concerned with sales, profits, and satisfying shareholders, low prices, cheap manufacturing, and mass production are the way to go. If another manufacturer wants to operate sustainably, protect the environment, and pay suppliers and employees fairly, that’s not possible with a low price. Ultimately, we choose a manufacturer, the values associated with it, and the world in which we want to live. And so, in the end, our conscious consumption can indeed change the world. This applies not only to jerseys and teamwear, but to every single purchasing decision we make every day.

Your ideas on sustainability in jerseys & teamwear.

We’re on the right track, but we certainly haven’t reached our goal yet. So feel free to contact us anytime if you have questions about our concept, suggestions for improvement, or new ideas: nachhaltigkeit@ravalfootball.de