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18 Sep, 2020

Swiss Running Brand ‘On’ Launches Ground-Breaking Sustainability Initiative With The Shoe You’ll Never Own

Sustainability ideas in full bloom. Same concept could be applied to thousands of other products, reducing the volume of waste by a quantum.

ZURICH, 15 September 2020, PRNewswire – Swiss-based high-performance running brand, On, today announces the launch of its world-first, subscription-based service to bring fully recyclable sportswear to On customers worldwide. 

The subscription service, named Cyclon, will allow subscribers to receive and wear the latest in running sportswear and then return end-of-life products back to On, in exchange for the latest version. Once the used item is returned, it will be fully recycled by On, who will reuse the materials to create new running gear.

With this first of its kind service, On is leading the circular economy in sportswear today. The Cyclon subscription service incentivizes customers to participate in On’s sustainability initiative and actively contribute to the brand’s commitment to drive zero waste.

“The Cyclon service is a groundbreaking new way to become more sustainable, while also ensuring the running performance is never compromised for our customers,” explains On Co-Founder Caspar Coppetti. “Customers who sign-up today will be the first ones to get the latest in sustainable running technology.”

The brand’s chosen name for the service, Cyclon, is inspired by the powerful circular weather system characterized by spinning clouds, emphasizing the circular nature of the service and the powerful impact it will have on the sportswear industry.

The first product to be released as part of the Cyclon service will be a fully recyclable, high-performance running shoe – also named Cyclon. At under 200 grams | 7 oz, the Cyclon is ultra-lightweight and engineered to perform to elite level competition. The Cyclon’s energy return and plush cushioning characteristics are among the highest within the On product range.

“Making a fully recyclable, performance running shoe is a huge accomplishment, one that we’re immensely proud of,” says On Co-Founder Olivier Bernhard. “But we went a step further. We wanted to show that sustainability and performance go hand in hand. The subscription service enables runners to not only receive one of the highest performing shoes we’ve engineered, but to continuously receive the best and most up-to-date shoe technology coming out of our lab.”

Created from over 50% bio-based materials made from castor beans, the new Cyclon shoe will not only be a flagship product for innovation in sportswear design and circularity but will also represent On’s ongoing commitment to reducing reliance on virgin petroleum-based materials.

“We built Cyclon to be a sustainable solution in every sense – from an environmental perspective, as a business opportunity and for the benefit of our runners,” said David Allemann, On Co-Founder. “In engineering our sustainable product technology, we haven’t sacrificed performance. We’ve enhanced it.”

For a deposit of $29.99, customers in select countries worldwide can sign up for Cyclon starting today at on-running.com/cyclon. The shoe will be available exclusively via the subscription service in the latter half of 2021.

Sustainability in action at On

As a world leader in the innovative development of high-performance running gear, On is dedicated to transitioning its operations to economically-sound processes to minimize negative impacts to the environment while conserving energy and natural resources. The company has committed to reducing the environmental footprint associated with its use of petroleum-based materials including virgin polyester, polyamide and chemical-based adhesives in favor of 100% recycled polyester (rPES), 100% recycled polyamide (rPA), organic cotton and water based glues as well as increasing the use of circular materials to facilitate easy recyclability. The company has committed to the Science Based Targets (SBTs) to reduce its carbon emissions, with a view to meeting them in the future. Additionally, On is committed to addressing the issue of packaging with the introduction of 100% recycled cardboard and 100% recycled plastic by Q4 2021.