Did you know that Adidas produces over 400 million pairs of shoes every year? That’s over 800 million shoes in one year hitting our highstreets and onto the feet of eager fans. While that kind of supply is great for the consumer, it’s bad news for the planet, but thankfully, Adidas are doing something about it.
Plastification of our oceans is a rapidly growing problem, with experts saying that over the next few decades, fish will be outnumbered by plastic in our oceans. An even more scary statistic is that both birds and humans have most likely consumed plastic at some point due to the plastic found in the fish that we eat. So Adidas have partnered with an organization called, Parley for the Oceans, who are looking to do something about this problem. Parley for the Oceans have set it upon themselves to turn ocean pollution into sportswear.
But how are Adidas actually working with this group. Well, Parley for the Oceans collect all the coastal litter found at the beaches near our oceans and sends it to an Adidas processing plant. Not all of the plastic is functional for their shoes, so for the plastic they can’t use, they send it a normal recycling facility. The plastic they can use is converted into resin pellets that are then used to create the upper shoe and sports shirts. It’s a big step in the right direction and fascinating process to see. Adidas will soon have a shoe that is made 100% of recycled plastic.
These are the types of programs and initiatives we love to see taking place around the world, well done Adidas for taking charge on such a global problem. If you’d like to check out the shoes and maybe even buy a pair, head over this link.