Failure of Puma's biodegradable range doesn't mean eco-fashion is dead

Sports giant Puma has pulled the plugs on R&D for its InCycle range but other companies say they are having more success with sustainable fashion

After launching with a blaze of celebration, sports brand Puma's new eco-friendly range of gear was meant to be the moment ethical fashion went mainstream. A shoe, jacket and backpack made of biodegradable and recyclable materials, put on sale in 2013, were part of the company's effort to minimise the environmental impact of its manufacturing process.

But two years on and the InCycle line as it was called has failed. In a statement released by Puma in November 2014, the company had warned that its retailers had not ordered the product and so it was only on sale in Puma stores, "where we had poor demand as well".