When Adidas teamed up with Parley last year to bring out a line of shoes made from ocean plastic, it seemed more like a greenwashing marketing gimmick rather than an actual solution. Sure, the shoes showed how we can transform ocean plastic into something useful, but there were doubts that this Adidas + Parley partnership would lead to anything more than producing more shoes.
Turns out we were wrong for doubting. The partnership has helped Adidas find ways to significantly reduce their use of virgin polymers (anytime you avoid making new plastic is a win). By 2024, the company expects to be using 100 percent recycled plastic, which is really something. This year, Adidas is upping the ante more with the introduction of the 2019 Parley range which will see the company produce a whopping 11 million pairs of shoes using upcycled marine plastic waste.
Beyond this, the dynamic duo’s Run for the Oceans campaign, which unites runners from all over the world to run on behalf of the ocean, raised $1 million that will go to an education program created to inspire marine conservation and empower a generation of “Ocean Guardians.“ What Adidas is showing the corporate world is that with a little effort, you can turn your business into a force for good.
