Sportswear manufacturer, Adidas AG, has announced its commitment to make 11 million pairs of shoes made from recycled plastic in 2019.
In 2018, Adidas produced five million shoes made from recycled plastic. This year, to curb the growing plastic pollution, the firm has committed to over doubling this figure.
Adidas has collaborated with Parley for the Oceans, a company that intercepts plastic from beaches before it can reach the oceans. This plastic is then upcycled and made into a yarn becoming a key component of the upper material of Adidas footwear.
Eric Liedtke, Adidas Executive Board member responsible for Global Brands, said: “With Adidas products made from recycled plastic, we offer our consumers real added value beyond the look, functionality and quality of the product, because every shoe is a small contribution to the preservation of our oceans. After one million pairs of shoes produced in 2017, five million in 2018, we plan to produce eleven million pairs of shoes containing recycled ocean plastic in 2019.”
Where the use of plastic is unavoidable, for example in transport packaging, Adidas is relying on counterbalancing measures and promoting sustainable alternatives.
It also supports the innovation platform Fashion for Good with a donation of €1.5 million, which equates to the company’s environmental impact of plastic packaging.
Gil Steyaert, Executive Board member responsible for Global Operations at Adidas, said: “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 centres worldwide and replaced it with more sustainable solutions.”
This news follows Adidas signing the Climate Protection Charter for the Fashion Industry where it agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030.
Courtesy: Climate Action
