It's paradoxical, if not downright grotesque: While my credit card statement still bears the marks of that carbon-laden flight that whisked me and my bubble-wrapped racing bike south for an extended competition weekend, I'm currently hesitating to reach for the (cheaper) plastic bag at the supermarket checkout. It seems we live in contradictions that would give even a third-semester philosophy student a headache.
But sometimes, and this is the beauty of our sport, small glimmers of hope emerge from the thicket of self-optimization and guilt. Moments in which we at least begin to live up to what we so often claim: to be responsible ambassadors of a sport that wants to pass on its playground, nature, to future generations in a reasonably intact state.
I experience such a moment regularly when I slip on my RENEWED 97s. Yes, I know, that sounds a bit sentimental. But these unassuming textiles, made from recycled ECONYL® fiber, embody something that has become rare in our sport: a product that truly delivers on its sustainability promises.
Made from 97% recycled materials | Photo: Marcel Hilger
The story of ECONYL® reads like a modern fairy tale, were it not for the bitter aftertaste of our global waste problem. Faced with these silent witnesses of our consumer society, the Italian company Aquafil has developed a process for recovering high-quality nylon from marine and industrial waste.
The collected nylon waste is first sorted and cleaned. It then undergoes a "radical regeneration and purification process," as manufacturers like to describe it with scientific fervor, which restores the material to its original purity at the molecular level. The result is ECONYL® Nylon, which is chemically identical to conventional nylon but leaves no such ecological footprint. A fact that should give even the most cynical advocate of greenwashing pause for thought.
But what good is the most sustainable material in the world if it can't withstand the demands of modern competitive sports? After all, we triathletes are a species that readily invests thousands of euros in marginal improvements to aerodynamics, often overlooking the fact that the limiting factor for top results lies in the mind.
RENEWED 97: First-class comfort and breathability | Photo: Marcel Hilger
But ECONYL® also knows how to silence any critics here: The material is lightweight, breathable, and moisture-wicking. It is elastic, retains its shape, and withstands even prolonged wear. At the same time, it is resistant to UV radiation and chlorine. The feel against the skin is remarkably unobtrusive. And that is the highest praise one can give a garment made of functional material.
Despite all this, there remains this delicious irony that exposes the nature of triathlon: Considering that almost every month a new aero helmet becomes the object of my desire and I am constantly inclined to have an optimized cockpit printed for my time trial bike, as if it were about solving quantum theory, my acts of compensation seem as tiny as the confidence of German car manufacturers in electromobility.
The biggest challenge here, too, lies not in the differences in material properties, but in our minds: How can we justify, on the one hand, focusing on sustainable products, but on the other hand, maintaining a lifestyle that is about as ecologically acceptable as a diesel SUV in city centers?
In harmony with nature / Photo: Vinny Wolff
The answer is uncomfortable: We can't. Because while I'm pondering recycled socks, the PTO has abruptly moved the next series race to Oceania. And while I'm feeling guilty for reaching for a plastic bag again just a few hours ago, the final of that very series is taking place in a country whose economic prosperity is based on oil exports.
It is the insidious logic of neoliberalism that shifts all responsibility onto the individual, while the truly effective levers remain in the hands of political decision-makers. Instead of eliminating climate-damaging subsidies, introducing a kerosene tax, or making public transport so attractive that even die-hard drivers voluntarily switch, we are being led to believe that the climate crisis can be solved through conscious consumption.
As individuals, we are by no means powerless; quite the contrary. Our true power, however, lies not in our consumer behavior, but in our political influence. As athletes, we have reach; as citizens, we have the right to vote; and as human beings, we have the ability to recognize and communicate structural connections.
We wear RENEWED 97 out of conviction / Photo: Marcel Hilger
Despite conflicting interests, I believe in the transformative power of small decisions. ECONYL® isn't the solution to all our problems, and the RENEWED 97 aren't a symbol of elitist self-righteousness. Rather, they remind me daily to continuously make better choices. And that, despite all the justified criticism of the contradictions in our modern society, is a rather hopeful thought.
