MEET GEN GREEN: EQUIPMENT DESIGNED WITH SUSTAINABILITY IN MIND

Just in time for Earth Day, Wilson is excited to debut an equipment collection years in the making. Learn how the new Gen Green™ collection is helping Wilson create a better world through sport.

At Wilson, we believe that Earth is the ultimate home field. We put our passion into building products that perform at the highest level for every generation of athletes. That’s why the Wilson LABS team has been hard at work tackling the mounting environmental threats of waste and emissions by making sure our products stay in play season after season, and by transforming product design to utilize preferred materials that are better for the environment. The new Gen Green™ line of products accomplishes both. The collection includes basketballs, footballs, volleyballs and soccer balls, all made from more sustainable materials without compromising performance or durability.

The Gen Green collection is comprised of six different balls:

• Basketball: NBA Forge Plus Eco and NBA DRV Pro Eco
• Football: NFL Stride Pro Eco and NFL Ignition Pro Eco
• Volleyball:Shoreline Eco
• Soccer: NCAA Vantage

“At Wilson, we are always thinking with an innovation-first mindset, and Gen Green is a perfect example of that,” said Kevin Murphy, Global General Manager for Wilson Team Sports. “We will continue to prioritize using even more sustainable materials in our product lines to have a positive influence on our athletes and less impact on the environment.”

So, exactly how does Gen Green help the earth and athletes? The new line features three primary technologies:

Biobased Sugarcane (EVA Foam)

The biobased I’m green™ material, developed by Braskem®, is made from sugarcane‒a renewable source‒through ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). This material (also known as Green Plastic™) replaces traditional fossil fuel EVA and has been used in many applications, from footwear to adhesives, but it had never before been used in sports equipment. The benefit of using this Sugarcane EVA Foam is that it generates two times less CO2 emissions than conventional fossil fuel EVA*, so the Wilson LABS engineers were determined to find a way to use the technology. Through extensive testing, the engineers concluded that they could manufacture the foam layer within the ball using 40% Sugarcane EVA without sacrificing any ball performance. The products below feature the EVA Foam technology:

• Shoreline Eco Volleyball
• NCAA Vantage Soccer Ball
• NFL Ignition Pro Eco Football

*Based on internal testing conducted by Braskem by ACV Brasil on June 9, 2020.

Repurposed Plastic

The cover backing on select Gen Green products is made from 42% post-consumer recycled plastic with Global Recycle Standard (GRS) certification‒ a voluntary product standard for tracking and verifying the content of recycled materials in a final product. The GRS standard applies to the full supply chain and addresses traceability, environmental principles, social requirements, chemical content and labeling.* Plus, each of the below balls is partially made from repurposed plastic water bottles. Depending on size, Gen Green basketballs contain up to 3.5 repurposed water bottles, and Gen Green footballs contain up to 2.75 repurposed water bottles.

• NBA Forge Plus Eco Indoor/Outdoor Basketball
• NFL Stride Pro Eco Football

*According to the NSF (National Sanitation Foundation)

Recycled Rubber

The ball’s cover is made from at least 30% recycled rubber, including post-industrial waste that would otherwise be headed to a landfill. Using this recycled rubber displaces the amount of new rubber required to manufacture ball covers, helping to minimize the effects of resource depletion.

• NBA DRV Pro Eco Basketball

Gen Green products purchased from wilson.com also ship without packaging, which helps to lessen our shipping and packaging footprints and diminish our carbon emissions by allowing for 2.8 times more product in each shipping container. Gen Green products sold through other retailers utilize cardboard packaging that contains up to 80% recycled material.

Across industries, consumers have come to expect sustainably-minded product offerings to come at a higher price point than their traditional counterparts. But Wilson is determined to make Gen Green accessible to maximize the overall environmental impact. Every ball in the collection is available on wilson.com for under $50‒aligned with our standard equipment collections.

While Gen Green is the first initiative of its kind for basketballs, footballs, volleyballs and soccer balls, Wilson LABS engineers have created a number of products that use preferred materials and responsible manufacturing practices, such as Luxilon Eco Power™ Racket String, made from 100% recycled plastic bottles and Triniti® tennis balls, designed to exist outside of a pressurized can. In apparel, Seamless Technology™ encompasses 30% of Wilson’s Sportswear line. This technology offers improved comfort and fit by eliminating seams while minimizing sewing and cutting. This leads to less waste, better quality and extended longevity.

Wilson is excited to introduce these new materials and processes as we continue to work towards implementing environmentally responsible manufacturing practices. By reducing environmental impact, we can defend our “home field” for generations to come.