Wolfhound & Elk launched responsible sportswear products

Wolfhound & Elk, an Irish sports brand focused on team sports, launched last year with a simple objective: to make environmentally and ethically responsible products.

Each jersey is made from six plastic bottles, which are recycled mechanically to produce polyester. The results, says owner and founder Stephen Daly, are indistinguishable from major sports brands.

It’s important to Stephen that his family-owned company can trace every step of the production journey, so they can be sure their products are made in a way that leaves the smallest environmental footprint.

“There’s always room to improve,” he says, adding that only 9% of plastic – which is used to make sportswear – is recycled.

When a team chooses to kit out in his sportswear, they can attract sponsorship from environmentally conscious partners, he says. For schools, his products assist them on the Green Schools Programme and starts a conversation among students about climate change and environmental sustainability, which he supports with education and awareness building sessions.  

Lockdown was a challenge, Stephen says, because all of their products are made to order. With teams out of action for months, orders were much quieter than usual. His team made a decision to use the time to test new product, build relationships and understand the sporting landscape. The upside was that sporting organisations had time to focus more on administrative tasks, which included kit.

#ChampionGreen #SupportLocal

During lockdown, Wolfhound & Elk ran competitions offering free product in conjunction with local schools and clubs to keep them connected with their members and students, as well as planting 100 trees.

Stephen says his company have always been committed to supporting youth participation in sport and work with the clubs, schools and organisations that are growing Ireland’s pool of sporting talent.

“Wolfhound was born to be an Irish sports brand that’s different. A brand that loves being Irish, a brand that is committed to supporting grassroots sport and helps inspire, while doing everything in an ethically and environmentally responsible way,” he says.

You can view Wolfhound & Elk’s sportswear here.

Champion Green is supported by KilkennyShop and Visa Ireland, in association with SFA Ireland, Retail Excellence Ireland and Chambers Ireland.