PUMA Launches InCycle, The Brand's First "Cradle to Cradle Certified(CM) Basic" Collection of Biodegradable and Recyclable Products

BOSTON, MA (ots) - Global Sportlifestyle company PUMA launches
InCycle, the brand's first closed-loop collection of footwear,
apparel and accessories, all of which have earned the "Cradle to
Cradle Certified(CM) Basic" certification. PUMA's InCycle products
are entirely biodegradable or recyclable. This product introduction
is another important step in PUMA's mission to become the most
sustainable and desirable Sportlifestyle company.

"PUMA's Cradle to Cradle Certified(CM) Basic InCycle products
represent a tremendous step forward in reducing our environmental
footprint and giving consumers a more sustainable product choice. The
InCycle Basket and Basket Tee Biodegradable have been analyzed as
part of PUMA's first Product Environmental Profit and Loss Account
published in October 2012 and the results speak for themselves,
showing that these two products impacted the environment by a third
less than their conventional counterparts" said Reiner Hengstmann,
Global Director of PUMA Safe.

The PUMA InCycle Collection was born from PUMA's challenge to
produce a fully recyclable or biodegradable collection as part of the
learning journey to improve the sustainability of its products. PUMA
collaborated with EPEA, to develop the collection, whose mission it
is to help companies fulfill the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation
Institute's criteria for the design of ecologically and intelligently
designed products. All products in the InCycle collection have been
certified by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute,
whose mission is to provide a continuous improvement quality program
to guide product manufacturers and designers in making safe and
healthy products for our world. Cradle to Cradle has created a
rigorous certification program that rates products against five
sustainability factors: 1) the use of environmentally safe and
healthy materials; 2) design for material reutilization including
recycling and composting; 3) renewable energy and management of
carbon; 4) water stewardship; and 5) social fairness.

"We are delighted to have PUMA, such a powerful global brand,
showing consumers and industry peers exactly what is possible through
the adoption of the Cradle to Cradle Certified Products Program,"
said Bridgett Luther, President of the Cradle to Cradle Products
Innovation Institute. "PUMA's InCycle Collection raises the bar on
what consumers can expect and what the apparel and textiles
industries can deliver: products that are not only a delight to use
and wear and but are also designed from the start to have a positive
environmental footprint as they biodegrade safely to soil and are
returned to industry as a valuable resource."

The PUMA InCycle collection can be broken down using one of two
processes: the Technical Cycle or the Biological Cycle. Materials
within the Biological Cycle can be broken down by microorganisms into
biological nutrients and will go back into the earth, thus making
them biodegradable. Materials found within the Technical Cycle - such
as metals, textiles, and plastics - can then be used to create new
products.

InCycle Biodegradable Products

A precondition of biodegradable products is that they must be made
only of biodegradable materials including organic fibers without
toxic chemicals, and they have to follow certain international
standards for composting. This ensures that the sourcing and
manufacturing processes of biodegradable PUMA products create the
least environmental impact possible.

Within the InCycle range, PUMA's Basket Tee is fully compostable
through industrial composting. PUMA's Shopper is constructed with
minimal materials, all of which can be reused.

The upper of the PUMA Basket lifestyle sneaker is made from a mix
of organic cotton and linen while the sole is composed of the
biodegradable plastic APINATbio©, a new material innovation that's
biodegradable. APINATbio can be shredded into its component materials
and composted into natural humus that goes back into the ecosystem.

InCycle Recycled Products

PUMA's recyclable InCycle products include the PUMA Track Jacket
and the PUMA Backpack, which use homogenous materials to ensure they
are fully recyclable at the end of their lifespans. The PUMA Backpack
is made of polypropylene which can be broken down to the original
substance and used again to make new backpacks.

The recyclable PUMA Track Jacket is made from recycled polyester
deriving from used PET bottles. To fully ensure the homogeneity of
materials, the Track Jacket's zipper is made from recycled polyester,
as well. The InCycle PUMA Track jacket can be turned back into
polyester granulate which then serves as a secondary raw material for
other products made of recycled polyester, reducing the need for
crude oil, energy and the amount of waste created.

To aid in the product collection and recycling process, PUMA has
launched the "Bring Me Back" program globally within PUMA Stores and
PUMA Outlets. PUMA has installed recycling bins instore where
customers can return used shoes, clothing and accessories of any
brand. The "Bring Me Back" program, which is run in cooperation with
global recycling company I:CO, is designed to give consumers a
convenient means of recycling products and lessening their
environmental impact.

PUMA's InCycle collection will be available in stores in March
2013 and online at puma.com. For further information about the
InCycle Collection and the Bring Me Back Program visit
www.puma.com/bringmeback.

Notes to editors:

Cradle to Cradle Certified(CM) is a certification mark licensed by
the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.

Pressekontakt:
Collette O'Neill,
PUMA International PR
collette.oneill@puma.com
+49 151 44877496