Ralph Lauren unveils shirt made entirely from recycled plastic bottles

Polo Ralph Lauren on Thursday launched the Earth Polo — a version of its iconic polo shirt made entirely of recycled plastic bottles and dyed through a process that uses zero water.

The youngest son of the company’s founder and its chief innovation officer, David Lauren, told The Associated Press that the new shirt is part of a broader strategy of fresh environmental goals throughout the manufacturing process.

“Every day we’re learning about what’s happened with global warming and what’s happening all around the world, and our employees and our customers are really feeling that it’s time to step up and make a difference,” Lauren said.

In announcing Earth Polo, Ralph Lauren committed to removing at least 170 million bottles from landfills and oceans by 2025. 

The shirts, which  are produced in partnership with First Mile, an organisation that collects the bottles turned into yarn and ultimately fabric, are manufactured in Taiwan, where the bottles are collected. Each uses an average 12 bottles.

The Earth Polo went on sale Thursday, ahead of Monday’s Earth Day, at RalphLauren.com and retail stores around the world. It comes in styles for men and women in green, white, navy and light blue. The shirts are not more expensive than other Polos.

Ralph Lauren has taken on environmental initiatives over the years, but it’s putting into place a more significant strategy aimed at changing both its corporate culture and how it thinks about the clothes it produces.