adidas plans for 11 million pairs of ocean waste shoes

The sportswear company has used recycled waste plastic in its footwear since 2017.

Sportswear producer adidas made over five million pairs of shoes incorporating recycled waste plastic during 2018, and has stated its intention to more than double this figure this year.

adidas has worked with ocean conservation group ‘Parley for the Oceans’ for several years, and turns the plastic waste collected by this organisation into a yarn used in footwear uppers for several of its styles. After producing one million pairs in 2017, adidas has boosted production of these shoes and has announced its aim to make 11 million pairs this year.

According to Eric Liedtke, adidas board member responsible for global brands, sustainability at adidas goes beyond recycled plastic, with the company also working to improve its environmental performance during product manufacture. This includes the use of sustainable materials, the reduction of CO₂ emissions and waste prevention. During 2018, adidas is said to have saved more than 40 tons of plastic waste in its offices, retail stores, warehouses and distribution centres worldwide and replaced this with more ‘sustainable’ solutions.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 6 of the March 2019 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

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