Warwickshire to wear shirts made from bamboo material in effort to improve sustainability

The move – a first in professional cricket and part of a three-year deal signed with new kit supplier PlayerLayer – will see the clothing contain a 50 per cent bamboo charcoal mix with polyester

Warwickshire will wear shirts and jumpers made partially from a material derived from bamboo in white-ball cricket this season.

The move – a first for professional cricket and part of a three-year deal signed with kit supplier PlayerLayer – will see the clothing contain a 50 per cent bamboo charcoal mix with polyester.

The full designs are set to be revealed nearer the start of the season, with the Edgbaston county sporting the sustainability-friendly garments in the Royal London Cup and in the Vitality Blast, where they are known as Birmingham Bears.

League Two football club Forest Green Rovers, owned by green energy entrepreneur Dale Vince and named in 2018 as the world’s ‘greenest soccer club’ by the United Nations, also have the material in their kit.

“We have previously talked about our ambitions to be the most sustainable cricket club and venue in the country and working with PlayerLayer to create our new bamboo kits takes us a step closer to this goal,” said Warwickshire commercial partnerships manager Ben Seifas.

“As part of the development, several members of our playing squad have tested the material to highlight its capabilities in a high-performance environment, with all subsequent feedback confirming that it is a very comfortable and durable material.”

The club’s replica shirts will also be made from the bamboo material, which significantly reduces the use of plastic. It is the latest step taken by the club to shrink its plastic dependence. Food purchased from the kiosks at the venue is served in compostable packaging, with drinks served in recyclable e-cups.