At the Parley Talks that took place in parallel with COP21, adidas and Parley for the Oceans showcased a 3D-printed ocean plastic shoe midsole to demonstrate how industry can re-think design and contribute to stop ocean plastic pollution.
“World leaders forging an agreement is wonderful, but we shouldn’t need to be told to do the right thing. The industry can’t afford to wait for directions any longer. Together with the network of Parley for the Oceans we have started taking action and creating new sustainable materials and innovations for athletes. The 3D-printed Ocean Plastic shoe midsole stands for how we can set new industry standards if we start questioning the reason to be of what we create,” said Eric Liedtke, adidas Group Executive Board member responsible for Global Brands.
This partnership aims to bring everyone from the industry to the table and create sustainable solutions for big global problems.
The concept shoe consists of an upper made with ocean plastic content and a midsole which is 3D printed using recycled polyester and gill net content.
“2015 is our year, the year of the Oceans: the ocean movement successfully brought the cause onto the COP21 agenda in Paris. Protecting life underwater became the 14th development goal of the United Nations” said Cyrill Gutsch, founder of Parley for the Oceans. “With a framework of political goodwill in place, it is the right moment to transform words into action. Therefore, Parley in Paris is all about updating knowledge, sharing visions, fine-tuning strategies, creating concepts and forging collaborations in order to kickstart change.
As founding member, adidas supports Parley for the Oceans in its education and communication efforts, as well as its comprehensive Ocean Plastic Program (A.I.R., Avoid, Intercept, and Redesign) that intends to end plastic pollution of the oceans. Since the partnership was announced in April 2015, adidas has taken concrete immediate steps in this direction.
Source & Image Credit: adidas group
