Adidas – Performance Meets Sustainability
How much plastic do you use and how does it affect nature? At Adidas, these are issues that are taken very seriously – and which have also led the company to develop new collections consisting entirely of recycled plastic.
“We want to contribute to a better environment for our children,” says Gundo Vester, Sales Manager at Adidas in Europe.
For every human being on this planet, there's a ton of plastic. It's a frightening fact. And what's even more frightening is that almost 80 percent of this plastic ends up polluting our oceans today. Adidas is well aware that it, as a large company, also has contributed to this problem. But now they have decided to take their responsibilities seriously, and want to contribute to a more sustainable future.
A first step is simply to pick up trash from the ocean and make clothing out of it. The trash is then melted down and converted into different types of polyester. One of the recycled materials is called Primeblue, and it can be found in many of the most popular Adidas products.
“Sustainability is really important to us as a company and who we want to be,” says Gundo Vester and continues:
“At Adidas, we always say that through sports we have the power to change people's lives, and that's why we've now made sustainability a part of our DNA."
In addition to Primeblue, Primegreen has been developed, a material that doesn't contain any new plastic at all. Both materials are at the core of Adidas' sustainability goal of having at least 50 percent of their polyester recycled. But it's not just about the products.
“The majority of our carbon dioxide emissions come from our supply chain, which is why it's incredibly important for us that our partners also take responsibility for reducing emissions, for example by using renewable energy,” says Gundo.
Fortunately, the customers have also appreciated Adidas' initiative.
“More and more people today are very aware of what clothes they buy and want to consume sustainably. We're very happy about that, and I expect that other companies will follow us down this path."
“The fact that our company is an industry leader in this area makes me very proud to work for Adidas. Stopping littering and pollution should be a goal both in our workplaces and in our personal lives," Gundo concludes.
Golfstores sustainability project is partially funded by:
