Soccer superstar Lionel Messi has a secret. Or at least the plastics sustainability group he's associated with, Join the Planet, has something up its sleeve and Messi is set to unveil the undisclosed item made with recycled plastics on March 1.
Join the Planet says the mystery item "will utilize recycled materials sourced from Patagonia, Indonesia, China, Thailand [and] India, among others."
"It will feature recycled nylon plastic mainly from discarded fishing nets, recycled polypropylene plastic sourced from discarded ropes and PET caps and recycled fiberglass for durability."
The unboxing with Messi will be streamed live on Twitch at noon Eastern time on March 1.
Messi is the first ambassador for Join the Planet, an environmental group whose first project involved the cleaning and conservation of the Paraná River in his hometown, Rosario, Argentina.
What is the mystery project? First thought would be clothing related to the upcoming World Cup competition, since a lot of high-profile recycling programs aimed at consumers involve PET bottles being converted into textile. But what role would fiberglass for reinforcement play in a soccer jersey?
The news release announcing the event also mentions that Join the Planet is working with Karün, an Argentina-based maker of eyewear from recycled plastics, although it goes on to refer to Karün's "traceability system and Blockchain technology" to certify and track materials used in the program.
So maybe not glasses either?
Whatever the mystery object turns out to be, the public relations effort has certainly gotten attention.