Champion unveils sustainable line with The Renewal Workshop

Athleticwear brand Champion has unveiled a new sustainable line with The Renewal Workshop, which turns discarded clothing and textiles into renewed apparel.

The Champion Renewed collection renews apparel that would have otherwise gone into landfill and features repurposed Champion Reverse Weave sweatshirts in collaboration with The Renewal Workshop.

The exclusive line falls under the athleticwear brand’s Champion Made sustainability efforts to expand the life span of apparel, which also includes increasing the use of responsibly made fabrics and introducing new ways to upcycle products to reduce energy use and water consumption during the manufacturing process.

Jon Ram, group president of global activewear for HanesBrands, said in a statement: “The Champion brand is committed to taking significant strides toward social and environmental leadership, and our partnership with The Renewal Workshop is an important step in this process.

“We are proud to extend the life of apparel that would have otherwise ended up in landfills. We look forward to expanding these efforts beyond Champion’s Reverse Weave® sweatshirts to other products that our consumers love.”

The Champion Renewed collection features 24 styles, Reverse Weave Pullover Hoodie and Reverse Weave Crew, across men’s/unisex fits and women’s fits. They retail for 30 – 45 US dollars, 40 percent off original retail prices.

The Renewal Workshop partners with Champion to expand its sustainable efforts

The Renewal Workshop works through a proprietary six-stage, zero-waste process, where garments undergo rigorous standards as they are reworked. Products are sorted, graded, thoroughly sanitised using state-of-the-art waterless technology, as well as being repaired to like-new standards, and then inspected and verified to joint quality standards before they are given a Renewal Workshop tag and made available for purchase.

The circular solutions provider uses Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Methodology to measure the impact of the textile fibres most frequently received, such as cotton, polyester, and wool. Using this data, in addition to each garment’s weight, the organisation can evaluate energy savings, greenhouse gas reductions, and water consumption decreases, among other things, for each item that is renewed.

Nicole Bassett, co-founder of The Renewal Workshop, added: “We’re thrilled to have Champion join our growing list of brands, and we’re eager to support the brand in its larger efforts to salvage apparel, giving clothing a chance for a second life.

“By having a brand as iconic as Champion begin the process with us, we’re encouraged that others within the industry will soon follow suit.”

In addition to partnering with The Renewal Workshop, Champion explained that it is also offering classic jersey T-shirts made with 100 percent US cotton, through its Champion Made pledge. The sportswear brand has also introduced two environmentally conscious collections, Natural State and Rally Pro Earth, in 2021, and has also started manufacturing ‘Game Day’ sweats using 95 percent recycled polyester fibres.

Champion’s sustainability efforts are part of a HanesBrands 2025-2030 global sustainability goals, which include all of its brands having a fully circular product or significant circularity initiative by 2025.