'We can’t do everything, but we can’t do nothing'
Championship side Reading have launched their new home shirt for the 2022/23 season, which aims to raise awareness of climate change.
While the shirt, which was unveiled on Monday, features the club's traditional blue and white hoops, its sleeves are covered in a bold striped design.
The Royals have since explained that the stripes - known as 'climate stripes' - represent the average temperature in Reading over the course of the club's 151-year history.
There are, therefore, 151 stripes per sleeve in total. Those in shades of blue indicate a cooler-than-average year, while red shows years where the temperatures were warmer than average.
The stripes were created four years ago by Professor Ed Hawkins of the University of Reading. It was announced last month that the club had entered into a partnership with the university with the aim of starting conversations around the climate crisis and inspiring action.
'We can’t do everything, but we can’t do nothing,' the club said. 'And by incorporating the university’s ‘climate stripes’ infographic into the design of our new home shirt, we hope to help visually demonstrate to our supporters how temperatures have risen over a long period of time in Reading.'
The shirt, made by Macron, is made from Eco-Fabric – 100% of which comes from recycled plastic bottles. This means the shirt is completely recyclable.
The climate stripes have recently featured at London Fashion Week and appeared on the Main Stage at Reading Festival and Glastonbury. They will also feature on the cover of a new book by Greta Thunberg.
Related links:
