In 2018, sporting goods manufacturer adidas produced more than five million pairs of shoes containing recycled plastic waste. The company now plans to more than double that figure in 2019, setting a target of eleven million pairs of shoes made from plastic waste, making every product ‘a small contribution to the preservation of our oceans’.
The plastic waste which is used for the production of the shoes is intercepted on beaches, such as the Maldives, before it can reach the oceans, as a result from a cooperation between the sporting goods manufacturer and the environmental organization and global collaboration network Parley for the Oceans.
That upcycled plastic waste is made into a yarn becoming a key component of the upper material of adidas footwear.
Sustainability at adidas goes far beyond recycled plastic. We also continue to improve our environmental performance during the manufacturing of our products. This includes the use of sustainable materials, the reduction of CO2 emissions and waste prevention. In 2018 alone, we saved more than 40 tons of plastic waste in our offices, retail stores, warehouses and distribution centers worldwide and replaced it with more sustainable solutions,
… noted Executive Board member Gil Steyaert, responsible for Global Operations.
Recently, adidas signed the Climate Protection Charter for the Fashion Industry at the UN Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland, (COP 24) and agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030.
In addition, the company is committed to using only recycled polyester in every product and on every application where a solution exists by 2024. As a founding member of the Better Cotton Initiative, adidas meanwhile sources only sustainably produced cotton. Since 2016, adidas stores no longer use plastic bags.
