ECI Elastic unveils 100% recycled World Cup jersey tapes

ECI Elastic said it is supplying warp knit tapes made from 100% recycled polyester for jerseys in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including kits for Spain, Germany, Japan and Italy. The move marks a sustainability milestone for a partnership that began at the 2014 tournament and shows how elite sportswear is shifting toward circular materials.

Why it matters: - ECI Elastic’s switch to 100% recycled polyester tapes puts recycled materials inside a visible, performance-critical part of World Cup jerseys. - The change signals a broader shift in elite sportswear, where sustainability now has to meet durability, comfort and recovery standards. - The tapes can be recycled through standard polyester streams at end of life because they use a single-fiber construction with no elastane or blended yarns.

What happened: - ECI Elastic confirmed it is supplying warp knit tapes for a customer’s 2026 World Cup jersey program. - The tapes are made from 100% recycled polyester for the first time. - The tapes are used on jerseys for Spain, Germany, Japan, Ukraine, Hungary and Italy. - The announcement came as the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off. - ECI Elastic linked the program to a partnership that began at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The details: - The product is ECI Elastic’s 72231-37R warp knit tape. - The tape uses 100% GRS-certified recycled polyester sourced from post-consumer PET bottles. - Warp knit construction creates stretch and recovery mechanically through a looped chain structure. - The construction removes the need for elastane or spandex. - The tape has a lighter and thinner profile than woven equivalents. - The surface is soft enough for direct skin contact at the collar and hem. - The collar tape sits against the back of the neck and must stay soft through 90-plus minutes of play. - The hem tape helps keep the jersey bottom edge from rolling or curling during play. - The hem tape also flexes with the athlete and returns to shape. - Development took about six months from initial brief to product approval. - A further year passed before garment styles reached buy-ready status. - ECI Elastic’s 2014 World Cup work covered nine national teams, including Germany’s championship-winning kit. - The 2014 jerseys were described at the time as the lightest soccer jerseys ever produced.

Between the lines: - ECI Elastic is framing the 2026 program as evidence that recycled materials can meet top-tier performance demands instead of trading off against them. - The company is also showing that sustainability now extends beyond shell fabrics to trims and small components that are often overlooked. - The long timeline from design brief to buy-ready styles suggests jersey development at the elite level remains slow and highly controlled. - The same R&D team, in-house testing lab and vertically integrated production behind the World Cup tapes are also available to commercial apparel customers. - ECI Elastic manufactures in Taiwan, Vietnam and China, with finishing capabilities in Korea and France. - The company holds OEKO-TEX Standard 100, ISO 9001:2015 and GRS certifications across its facilities.

What’s next: - ECI Elastic plans to carry the same performance and sustainability capabilities from national team programs into commercial athleisure and other apparel categories. - The company’s vertical production model positions it to pitch recycled trim solutions as brands push circularity commitments deeper into their supply chains. - More information is available in the company’s announcement.