Puma, the German multinational corporation that designs and manufactures athletic and casual footwear, apparel and accessories has stepped up their game in the sustainability world.
Puma’s new Voices of a RE:GENERATION program asks four environmentalists in their 20s for their opinions on how the company can handle important environmental and social issues. Over the course of a year, the four will be invited to a number of meetings with Puma officials and will be treated as “candid consultants” of the company’s existing sustainability strategy and initiatives. The meetings will include personnel with expertise in sustainability and sourcing.
The 4 participants include American Andrew Burgess AKA Wandy the maker, Germany based lifestyle vlogger Luke Jaque-Rodney, UK-based documentary maker Alice Aedy, co-founder of Earthrise Studio media platform, and France-based creative consultant Jade Roche.
Puma has not yet said whether it will continue the program after a year or invite new participants. The ‘Conference of the People’, which it sponsored in London last autumn, served as the catalyst for the initiative’s debut. While Puma employees were given speaking time at this event to address environmental innovation, the agenda was largely devoted to hearing from people pushing fashion businesses to enhance their practices.
According to Fibre 2 Fashion, Gen z and millennials are not only turning away from unsustainable brands but are embracing and willing to pay more for sustainable products. Surveys of gen z members have shown that 73 per cent of them are willing to pay more for sustainability, a majority of which were willing to pay up to a 10 per cent premium. These facts show the importance of large corporations using modern voices to make their own sustainability plans.
Anne-Laure Descours, the head of sourcing at Puma, stated: “We’ve always documented our progress in sustainable practices. However our participation in Conference of the People has shed light on the fact that the information we share isn’t always easily understood by the next generation. We recognise the need for change, and we’re committed to making sustainability more accessible and transparent to everyone. Voices of a RE:GENERATION is our first step in improving this.”
This move is on top of Puma’s sustainable development goals that have already been set in place. They have already set a target to use 100% certified and/or recycled paper and cardboard by 2025. In 2021 they stood at 88% recycled goods. All paper bags used in PUMA stores as well as all our product hang tags are FSC certified, and PUMA shoe boxes use over 95% recycled paper content (Puma).
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