With the launch of the first World Cup game today comes the debut of Nike’s eco-friendly and technologically-advanced team jerseys made from recycled plastic. Brasil, the Netherlands, Portugal, the USA, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Serbia and Slovenia will all be wearing Nike’s new team jerseys.

To make the 2010 uniforms, Nike fabric suppliers used discarded plastic bottles from Taiwanese and Japanese landfill sites. The bottles were melted down to produce new yarn that was converted into fabric and used for the jerseys. Compared to using virgin polyester, this process reduced energy consumption by 30% and prevented nearly 13 million plastic bottles from going into landfill sites. According to Nike, if the number of recycled bottle used to make the jerseys were laid end-to-end they would measure the length of the whole South African coastline.

With these innovations Nike hasn’t sacrificed the quality of their jerseys. The uniforms have been designed to keep players cooler, more comfortable and better equipped to play the total 90 minutes. GAME ON!