Sustainability and sportswear might not be two things that immediately come to mind, but Sasin’s alumni Neerumporn Jarumaneeroj and her team at Ego Sport International, have now found a way to make them synonymous. With the world producing 92 million tons of clothes-related waste each year, generating half a million tons of microplastics, Neerumporn saw an opportunity to reduce waste and pollution by creating sportswear made from recycled yarn and disposable clothing. Having graduated from Sasin’s MBA class of 2015, Neerumporn credits the course for helping her develop the skills needed to run a successful business with a sustainable mindset. As Business Development & International Sales Manager at Ego Sport, she embeds the concept of sustainability and a zero-waste policy into the company’s vision and mission. Coming from an engineering background, she admitted that she had no idea how to conduct business. After studying at Sasin, she could learn the process of doing business step-by-step. “I learned a lot from my classmates who come from different sectors of business, who share the challenges they face in their industry and different solutions to problems that I could apply to my business,” she said. Besides sportswear, Ego Sport also produces polo shirts, streetwear, and uniforms. The brand is worn by athletes from Thonburi University, Sisaket United, and Phitsanulok Football Club. They export to Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, and the United States. Like all Sasin alumni, Neerumporn firmly believes in sustainability and the entrepreneurial mindset that businesses should not only be based on profit and revenue but also on giving back value to the environment. “We cannot deny that our business is affecting the environment, so we need to be responsible for our actions,” said Neerumporn. To reduce waste and pollution, she said that creating recycled yarn involves thorough research and development, meticulous trial and testing before making them into clothing. The product line is easily adaptable to all lifestyles. Their sportswear is versatile, appropriate as leisurewear, for walking around malls or lounging around the house. “We use recycled yarn from plastic bottles and then weave it into the fabric. We also came up with the concept of disposable clothing, where our clothing or products can be disposable within five or ten years,” she said. Ego Sport is also collaborating with Thaitone, a water-based acrylic in the Thai ancient color scheme, to promote Thai concepts of color through recycled yarn clothing. In addition, they are applying a zero-waste policy by using reusable spun-bond bags as packaging. But Neerumporn’s commitment to sustainability doesn’t stop there. In the workplace, she ensures that fabric and other clothing materials are separated into categories and recycled, and energy efficiency policies are in place to reduce the company’s carbon footprint. Solar cell panels instead of neon lights are placed on the ceiling to save energy. There are also odor-reducing systems to prevent pollution from affecting the outside environment. “I encourage everyone to focus not only on the business side but to take care of our planet because this world is ours. We need to protect our planet for the next generation,” she said. Neerumporn truly embodies the core values of Sasin, which emphasize an entrepreneurial mindset that prioritizes sustainability and a positive impact on the world.