Adidas is on the frontline against plastic pollution
Adidas is trying to stop plastic before it reaches the ocean. In 2015, Adidas partnered with the organization Parley for the Oceans, their objective was collecting plastic pollution and then turn it into sportswear. Nowadays Adidas expects to make 11 million pairs of shoes with recycled ocean plastic, this is a huge progress in a very short period of time. This initiative has managed to keep 2,810 tons of plastic out of the ocean.
It all starts in coastal areas like the Maldives, they collect trash and then the waste is sorted, and the recovered plastic is sent to an Adidas processing plant. Adidas uses plastic bottles that contain PET. Then The waste is crushed, washed, and dehydrated into small plastic flakes. The flakes are heated, dried, and cooled, then cut into small resin pellets. Adidas melts these pellets to create a filament, which is spun into what they call Ocean Plastic, a form of polyester yarn which normally would have been made with petroleum. Adidas uses Ocean Plastic in the Parley collection.
This year more than 40% of Adidas’ apparel used recycled polyester. Clothing made with Ocean Plastic has been used in college football, baseball, the NHL, the Australian Open, and more. But this doesn’t eliminate plastic pollution entirely. Washing polyester clothing can create lint, which may end up in the ocean. It is advised to wash this type of clothes less often, use cold water, and fully fill the machine each time.
The German company is also trying to make a 100% recyclable shoe. The idea is giving the possibility to break down and create a brand-new pair from the one that are returned by a customer.
Mattia Salvatico
Source Business Insider
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