TEAM REBEL SPORTS, a custom sportswear brand, said sustainable products and manufacturing practices attract customers in international markets.

“The local sports industry is very competitive. Hence, it made sense for us to expand our reach beyond the domestic market and tap into international opportunities,” Joel Cu, founder of Team Rebel Sports, said in a statement.

The company highlights on its website its experience in manufacturing customized apparel for different sports like basketball, football, wrestling, and hockey. It added that it has also explored developing non-sportswear, such as fit wear and casual wear.

The Team Rebel said its first international order was only worth $15, while its first shipment began with five kilograms. Currently, the local sportswear brand has over 200 employees and ships 40 tons of jerseys around the globe every year.

Leveraging sustainable production practices such as incorporating recyclable fabrics like polyester from PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) bottles into the production process made the brand stand out on the global market.

“We’re very proud to be contributing our efforts in protecting the environment through the use of recycled materials in our products. Sustainability is an integral part of our brand,” Mr. Cu said.

According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Philippines produces around 2.7 million tons of plastic waste annually.

The department said these discarded materials are left in landfills, dumpsites, rivers, and water supply systems. It added that the country loses approximately $890 million yearly due to failure in repurposing recyclable plastics.

Team Rebel noted that its sublimated Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) jersey, which involves heating inks into gas to meld with the fabric, pushed the company’s sustainability initiatives further.

“Since the process integrates the design into the material, rather than just on the surface, the design quality lasts for years,” the company said.

“The fabric remains durable, breathable, and lightweight,” it added. — Almira Louise S. Martinez