What happens to sports kit that never gets worn?
The British Olympic Association is partnering with a specialist platform to resell surplus Team GB clothing from recent Olympic games. This initiative aims to address the significant issue of kit wastage in elite sports, where excess stock is often generated due to commercial contracts and performance requirements.
Why it matters
The initiative highlights the growing focus on sustainability and the circular economy within the professional sports industry.
Figure caption, What happens to unworn sports kit?
BBC Sport correspondent Published 9 hours ago For an elite athlete, pulling on Olympic kit can be the reward for years of sacrifice. But some of that clothing never makes it out of the packaging.
Inside a warehouse on England's south coast, boxes are stacked with pristine Team GB clothing from Paris 2024 and Milan Cortina 2026. Tracksuit bottoms, jackets, hoodies and T-shirts sit untouched. Among them are garments created for Olympic opening ceremonies. All of it is unworn.
Commercial constraints can make excess stock difficult to shift at scale.
Now a new partnership means hundreds of items of surplus Team GB clothing and unsold merchandise will be resold through a specialist platform, with proceeds supporting the British Olympic Association's (BOA) charity arm, the Team GB Foundation.
The initial launch will include 700 items from Paris 2024.
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