Recently, I saw a video of a huge mass of plastic bottles that were found floating in the ocean. They say that the amount of plastic pollution in the ocean is creating an island that is nearly the size of the state of Texas. This is detrimental to the oceans and the marine life who call the deep blue home. Experts predict that in just 30 years there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish. One study recently claimed that over 90% of all seabirds have consumed some form of plastic waste. Adidas is one company who is sick and tired of the waste and decided to make a drastic change in order to do something about this atrocious problem we are creating as a wasteful society. Adidas has partnered with an environmental organization called Parley for Oceans. The teams have come together to put a use to all this marine pollution and they are making huge progress towards a better future.
It is estimated that 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into the ocean every year. Adidas decided to do something with all of this wasted plastic.
They have teamed up with the organization Parley for the Oceans whose job is to collect the trash and give it to Adidas.
Adidas is taking the used plastic and cleaning it, dehydrating it, and turning it into small plastic bits that can be heated and turned into a synthetic fiber.
The fiber is then spooled and used to make shoes! Adidas makes over 400 million shoes each year so this is going to make a huge impact on the resources they use to create shoes and sportswear.
Adidas has already sold over 1 million pairs of shoes made out of recycled ocean plastic.
The technology could very well save our oceans from all of the deadly plastic particles. Maybe not alone but it’s a great start.
The sports company is also using the technology to create sports jerseys and athletic clothes.
The clothes are fashionable, functional and completely made from recycled materials out of the ocean!
The Adidas Parley line of shoes caters to runners, golfers, crossfit, track and field, soccer players and many other sports. The shoes start around $114 and go up to $300 depending not the features like special soles and cleats for golf or soccer.
Each pair of shoes uses 11 plastic bottles to make. The laces, heel linings and sock liners are all made from recycled materials.
Adidas has also switched to using paper bags in their stores rather than plastic bags. This has eliminated over 70 million plastic shopping bags.
Adidas has a goal to replace all virgin polyester with recycled polyester by the year 2024. currently more than 40% of all Adidas apparel products use recycled polyester.
The company’s idea to use recyclable resources is starting to catch on with other manufacturers. Nike is currently developing a shoe that uses recycled materials from their waste facilities.
Take a look at a small glimpse of the process below.
More info: Adidas X Parley
Adidas and Parley for the Oceans is sparking a change in our wasteful habits. They are creating a positive out of a negative and we need more companies to follow this practice if we want to continue as a species on this planet. We are creating more trash than ever before and we need to be accountable for our actions. We need to be smart and ethical to sustain our beautiful planet.