2050 is the year when Adidas plans to achieve climate neutrality across our entire value chain. It is also the year when it has expected that our oceans will contain more plastic than fish if we do not act now.
Adidas solution to help end plastic waste and achieve climate neutrality? Sustainable innovation. In addition to innovative products, Adidas is offering more sustainable materials and circular services.
In 2015, adidas presented the first adidas x Parley running shoe made with recycled plastic waste intercepted from beaches and coastal communities at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Since then, adidas has aggressively tackled the use of plastic and introduced recycled polyester across its entire product range.
By 2024, adidas will only use recycled polyester wherever possible. Today, more than 90% of the polyester used is recycled polyester.
Adidas’ sustainable product innovations revolve around three loops:
• Recycled Loop
The Recycled Loop features products made in part with recycled materials such as recycled polyester.
Recycled polyester and Ocean Plastic: Polyester is the most common single-use material in adidas products. By 2024, adidas aims to replace all virgin polyester with recycled polyester in all products where a solution exists. Adidas has set clear internal milestones for product creation teams and have seen significant progress throughout the last few seasons.
91% of all polyester bought in 2021 was recycled. With that, adidas is on track to use only recycled polyester from 2024 onwards.
• Circular Loop
The Circular Loop includes products made to be worn, returned, ground up, and remade into new products.
Made to be Remade (MTBR): Through ‘Made to be Remade’ (MTBR), Adidas has developed a product line that considers recycling right from the initial design. For example, this means products could be created with just one material, and once they reach the end of their useful life, they can be shredded and recycled for use in new products.
• Regenerative Loop
Regenerative Loop products are made in part with natural and renewable materials, proving that reliance on finite fossil fuels, such as crude oil, can be reduced in the future. Adidas calls these products ‘Made with Nature.’ An example of products to be launched under this headline was presented in the spring of 2021 and included the Stan Smith Mylo. This prototype is made from mycelium, a mushroom-based material developed in collaboration with Bolt Threads. Adidas is also collaborating with startups, such as Spinnova, Infinited Fiber, and Pond, to work on materials made of natural resources that the company can use in its products.
