CHICAGO: Wilson Sporting Goods Co. is advancing sustainability in performance sporting goods – starting with its tennis products.
On Thursday, Wilson marked Earth Day with the launch of its most sustainable rackets yet, W | ∞ presents The Naked Series.
Wilson Tennis “Naked Series”
“The introduction of The Naked Series is one small step toward Wilson’s goal to preserve the planet for future athletes,” said Hans-Martin Reh, Global general manager, Wilson Racquet Sports. “We acknowledge how far we still have to go, but as a leader in Racquet Sports, we are proud to step up and take responsibility to design more sustainable products that don’t compromise performance for the sports community.”
The limited-edition Naked Series, available in all four best-selling Wilson performance franchises, Blade, Ultra, Pro Staff and Clash, features unpainted tennis rackets, with non-dyed Agiplast bumper and grommets, a biodegradable PU grip, and sustainable packaging – all without sacrificing performance.
To celebrate Earth Day (4/22), Wilson is donating $20,000 to tentree, plus an additional $400 for each of the 422 rackets sold, available exclusively at www.wilson.com. With this program, Wilson and tentree will partner to plant more than 1 million trees. Consumers can track the trees contributed by their purchase at https://www.tentree.com/pages/register-your-trees.
“At tentree, we empower others to take action in bettering our planet. We believe big change starts small, like enabling people to plant trees through everyday purchases. This Earth Day, we want to extend the opportunity to make an impact. We’re partnering with brands leading sustainable initiatives in their industries,” said Sola Desgagne, Director of Brand. “This campaign allows brands like Wilson to drive impactful environmental change. We’re thrilled to share that every purchase from Wilson’s Naked Series will plant 2,500 trees – a truly incredible feat.”
W | ∞ is home to Wilson’s sustainably minded products, including Triniti tennis balls, pushing the limits of sustainable performance. The ball core impressively extends the fresh ball feel, while STR Felt provides enhanced durability. Triniti was designed to exist outside of a pressurized can, arriving in more easily recyclable and uniquely sustainable packaging. W | ∞ has also introduced the Eco Overcap across key tennis ball franchises, reducing the amount of plastic by half and leaving a smaller footprint on the environment after it has been used.
Wilson’s ongoing collaboration with RecycleBalls also encourages tennis players to collect, recycle and reuse tennis balls for a variety of uses such as resurfacing tennis courts.
