Athletes at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine will be donning recycled uniforms courtesy of Atayne athletic apparel, the school announced Thursday.
Atayne is a Brunswick-based company that creates athletic apparel using 100 percent organic and recycled materials.
“Atayne was immediately attractive to us for a variety of reasons,” Maine Maritime Director of Athletics Steve Peed said in a news release. “Obviously we get to feel good about using 100 percent recycled products, but as a public institution, we have an opportunity to keep business in Maine through a Brunswick-based company that employs people in Maine and around New England.”
Maine Maritime’s volleyball team became the first in the country to wear a 100 percent recycled uniform in the NCAA tournament last November.
“Every time I read Atayne’s story and the vision of [Atayne founders] Jeremy [Litchfield] and Rebecca [Darr], I am inspired,” volleyball coach Tricia Carver said. “It feels so great for our team to support and promote a company that believes in community, respect and the pursuit of excellence by doing things the right way.”
Atayne’s vision is to inspire positive environmental and social change through the power of active lifestyles, and the company does so by following the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability, while aspiring to use the power of markets to solve social and environmental problems.
All of Atayne’s products are made using the maximum amount of recycled materials possible, preventing usable materials from going into landfills and saving considerable energy and water compared to virgin polyester.
“I thought it was so fitting that we got these jerseys at the time we did,” said Maggie MacMahon, a freshman on the volleyball team. “They symbolize so much of what [Maine Maritime] culture is like. By buying them, we supported a local Maine business, by wearing them, we supported a green and eco-friendly atmosphere, and by sweating and playing in them, we represented a volleyball program that has poured time and effort into making the individual a better athlete and team player. I absolutely loved representing many different people and places in them.”
The Maine Maritime men’s and women’s basketball teams, men’s and women’s cross-country teams, and women’s lacrosse team will all be wearing apparel manufactured by Atayne in 2017.
http://bangordailynews.com/2017/01/12/sports/maine-maritime-athletes-to-wear-100-percent-recycled-organic-uniforms/