Adidas X Parley: A Mission For Our Oceans

Year Of Establishment 1996 | adidas.co.in

*This profile has been added for illustrative purposes, only. All the text and images belong to Adidas and Parley and have been used merely as indicative communication. 

Adidas announced their partnership with Parley in 2015. Since then, the two have worked together to phase out single-use plastics and microbeads but by launching entire product lines and new collaborations to build a better future for our oceans and planet.
Founded in 2012 by Cyrill Gutsch, Parley aims to raise awareness for the beauty and fragility of the Oceans, and to inspire and empower diverse groups such as pacesetting companies, brands, organizations, governments, artists, designers, scientists, innovators and environmentalists. As a founding member, adidas supports Parley for the Oceans in its education and communication efforts. 

ABOUT

It is estimated that lost and discarded gillnets, known as ghost nets, are responsible for more than 100,000 marine mammal deaths every year. They are the silent killers of the sea, wreaking havoc on underwater habitats and destroying delicate balances within the ecosystems that sustain this planet. Over 5 trillion pieces of plastic are floating in our oceans. Over time this floating plastic gets broken down into small pieces, which makes it easy for sea life to ingest and poses a threat to their lives and that of the oceans. 

Parley Ocean Plastic™ is a material created from upcycled plastic waste that was intercepted from beaches and coastal communities before reaching the ocean. Parley for the Oceans works with its partners to collect, sort and transport the recovered raw material (mainly PET bottles) to our supplier who produces the yarn, which is legally trademarked. It is used as a replacement for virgin plastic in the making of adidas x Parley products. 

Through this collaboration, Adidas facilitates collecting plastic waste and converting it into high performance apparel and footwear. This makes a circular loop where in the recycled materials can be used over and over again. 

As a founding member, Adidas supports Parley for the Oceans and the direct action efforts of its Global Cleanup Network, which is comprised of NGOs with operations around the world (e.g. Surfrider, Surfers Against Sewage, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii). In addition to collecting plastic waste for upcycling, each cleanup presents an opportunity for community education.
Adidas commits to the Parley A.I.R. (Avoid, Intercept, Re-design) strategy to create long-term solutions: 
Avoid: No use of plastic bags and microbeads (plastic particles often used in exfoliating products). Together with our partner COTY, we ended the use of microbeads across all body care products. Additionally, we committed to being single-use plastic free in our facilities. 

Intercept: We work with Parley for the Oceans to prevent plastic from entering the oceans, and instead transform it into performance sportswear. In this way, we aim to turn a problem (marine plastic pollution) into progress, with an eco-innovative replacement for virgin plastic: Parley Ocean Plastic™. 

Re-design: Drive eco-innovation around materials, products and new ways of using them with the ultimate goal of reinventing current plastic. Integrating this mindset within our business model has resulted in our strong commitment of using 100% recycled polyester in every product and on every application where a solution exists by 2024.

Parley and its partner organizations first collect the plastic from coastal areas like the Maldives. A local team on the ground (Parley Maldives) is managing the plastic collection operations. The team also monitors working conditions along the supply chain, starting from the collection of plastic.
The plastic is then shipped to adidas x Parley’s supplier in Taiwan, where it is upcycled and transformed into yarn fibers. These are then used to create adidas x Parley products.

The T1 and T2 level suppliers fall into the scope that is covered by the adidas Social and Environmental Affairs team (SEA), which means suppliers must comply with adidas’ environmental and social standards. adidas and Parley are working closely to ensure that each step along the supply chain complies with sound social and environmental standards. As said, the local team monitors the working standards of the supply chain starting with the collection of plastic.

PET bottles are separated from products made out of HDPE (plastic rings and caps) and are converted into yarn. The HDPE products, which cannot be converted into yarn, are sent to regular recycling facilities. Additionally, some flagship stores use Parley Ocean Plastic™ to create instore sales support items such as hangers and mannequins. 
Parley and adidas unveiled a concept shoe made from reclaimed marine plastic waste at the United Nations in 2015. 

Partnering with Parley on a shared mission to use 100% recycled polyester in the products by 2024, the brand launched ULTRABOOST DNA PARLEY. These running shoes have a seamless knit upper that’s made with yarn spun from plastic reclaimed from beaches and coastal communities. Responsive cushioning returns energy to your stride. This product features Parley Ocean Plastic – upcycled plastic waste intercepted on remote islands, beaches, coastal communities, and shorelines, preventing it from polluting our oceans.  The Ultra Boost prototype featured an upper made of yarns and filaments reclaimed and recycled from ocean waste and illegal deep-sea gillnets.
In 2018, Parley for the Oceans received the Special Recognition Award for Innovation at The Fashion Awards.
Uniting sport, the oceans and education, Parley Ocean School sessions in the Maldives, Australia, New York and Los Angeles have played. host to adidas staff and luminaries ranging from Manchester United and Real Madrid players to the New Zealand’s national rugby union team. A-listers and C-suite leaders learn firsthand about threats to the marine environment from Parley experts and scientists – becoming powerful ambassadors and spokespeople for the need to reduce plastic and protect our oceans.

The adidas x Parley concept shoe was made in just six days in close collaboration with Sea Shepherd supported by green chemist John Warner and designer Alexander Taylor. The prototype shoe illustrated our joint commitment to protecting and conserving the oceans, and offered a glimpse of things to come

IMPACT

Phasing out of plastic microbeads

With over 8 million tons of plastic entering the planet’s oceans every year, both adidas and Parley firmly grasp the true scale of the problem we are facing – and recognize that only massive change will make a meaningful difference. We began by identifying immediate fixes and investing in R&D to bring the concept shoe and upcycled plastic into adidas’ global supply chain at a level that would make a true impact. The Adidas Group moved swiftly to completely phase out the use of plastic bags in its retail stores by the end of Q1 2016. Together with their partner COTY, adidas also ended the use of plastic microbeads across all licensed body care products, and halted the use of plastic bottles in all meetings at its headquarters.

Scaling Up, Wasting Less

Parley, meanwhile, worked to develop the world’s first supply chain for upcycled marine waste and created Ocean Plastic® as a powerful symbol of change. Initially sourced from islands in the Maldives, we’ve now expanded our collection network to the Dominican Republic and Sri Lanka too, creating a steady demand for plastic waste that would otherwise end up in the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. This expansion has in turn enabled adidas to accelerate production and expand the number of products made using our upcycled materials. Beyond apparel like shirts, socks and other performance wear, Adidas produced 1 million pairs of shoes with Parley Ocean Plastic® in 2017, then 5 million in 2018, 11 million in 2019, and are now planning for around 15 million in 2020. This means less virgin plastic, reduced CO2 emissions and more awareness of the issue – with every product made serving as a wearable symbol of change that sparks questions, discussions and ideas about creating even more progress.

Adidas x Parley - A Timeline Of Impact

For the first time in 2021, adidas will use more than 60 percent recycled polyester in its products. 
From 2024 onward, adidas is committed to using only recycled polyester.
Since 2015, adidas has been collaborating with the environmental organization Parley for the Oceans. 
In 2021, adidas aims to produce 17 million pairs of shoes with recycled plastic waste collected from beaches and coastal regions, after more than 15 million in 2020.adidas is continuously expanding its vegan product offer and completely renounces the use of fur.
In cooperation with partners, adidas is developing plant-based leather, recycled cotton as well as a particularly climate-friendly running shoe.
In partnership with the company’s suppliers, adidas aims to achieve global climate neutrality by 2050 and in its entire supply chain.
Company-owned photovoltaic systems with a current installed capacity of 1.4 megawatts generate green electricity. adidas has reduced its overall carbon footprint at its company sites by more than 50 percent compared to 2015.
Sustainability also for investors: adidas placed its first sustainability bond.

TESTIMONIALS

Such an inspiring, strategic goal and execution towards sustainability! 

By: Diane H

Customer

My 12-year-old daughter wants to become a marine biologist and is a fan of the Adidas brand.
She will be proud of your activities. Here's hoping to see more recycled products in the market.

By: Joyce Kim

Customer


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