Rothy’s launches first tennis line made with Evian water bottles

Sustainable accessories brand Rothy’s has unveiled its first, limited-edition, tennis-inspired capsule collection made with repurposed Evian water bottles collected during the US Open Tennis tournament last year.

The partnership between Evian and Rothy’s was launched in September 2021 to keep plastic waste from Evian’s water bottles in the economy and out of nature by repurposing the bottles into a tennis-inspired capsule collection using Rothy’s signature 3D knitting process.

The two brands collected approximately 72,000 Evian bottles from New York’s largest tennis tournament last year, diverting the waste from landfills via recycling and transforming them into a soft, washable thread, which Rothy’s used to knit each item to shape.

Leeni Hämäläinen, marketing director at Evian North America, said in a statement: “Our pioneering spirit drives the Evian brand to find revolutionary and sustainable ways to help limit packaging waste and promote recycling. This partnership has allowed us further our circular commitment and truly give our product a second life together with the sustainability fashion leaders at Rothy’s.

“Collectively, we’re inspired by the sport of tennis, and after an exciting journey together over the past year, we are thrilled to introduce this one-of-a-kind collection to the world.”

Rothy’s and Evian transform plastic water bottles into a tennis-inspired capsule collection

The collection of court-side essentials includes Rothy’s RS01 sneaker, slip-on sneakers, a cap, visor, racket bag, sling bag, and duffel bag, all made using Rothy’s low waste, circular-focused manufacturing method to give the Evian bottles a second life.

The move is part of Rothy’s and Evian’s commitment to a closed-loop future, with both brands pledging to be circular by 2023 and 2025, respectively. Rothy’s has circularity at the core of its business model, as it designs with recycled materials and every product is built in its wholly-owned factory in Dongguan, China, using world-class knitting technology to create footwear and accessories, with nearly no waste.

To further its sustainable commitments, in March 2021, Rothy’s pledged to reach circular production by 2023 by pioneering the shoe recycling technology to incorporate twice-recycled materials into new products. In addition, it is investing in nature-based carbon reductions for every mile of shipping, so it can also reach carbon neutrality by 2023.

Saskia van Gendt, head of sustainability at Rothy’s, added: “Inspired by the staggering amount of waste our founders saw in other footwear manufacturing, Rothy’s was founded with the goal of creating something better: better materials, better production, better product.

“We have built a sustainable business from the ground up, including an owned and operated Rothy’s factory, where every single Rothy's product is made. We are excited to collaborate with Evian to showcase Rothy’s transformative capabilities and prove that through innovation we find new uses for single use plastic.”

The limited-run collection retails from 75 to 495 US dollars and is available exclusively on rothys.com and in Rothy’s New York City store locations.