60% of all adidas products to be made of sustainable materials in 2021

01 / 01 / 2021

By Marwa Nassar - -

Adidas will, for first time, depend on sustainable materials in manufacturing more than 60 percent of all its products in 2021.

The share of recycled polyester has reached a percentage of over 60. The ‘Primeblue’ and ‘Primegreen’ labels mark products made with recycled materials. While offering full functionality and durability in sports, they avoid waste and preserve natural resources.

From the beginning, ِِAdidas designers consider the later reusability of their product in its development: The Ultraboost DNA Loop, which was raffled off to interested consumers in October 2020 for the first time, is made from one single material from sole to laces and is welded without glue.

Once the shoe reaches the end of its life cycle, it can be shredded to pieces and reused. In the spring of 2021, Adidas will launch the successor in a larger volume.

With that, Adidas moves closer toward its objective to end plastic waste. From 2024 onward, Adidas will shift to using only recycled polyester.

Since 2018, the company has been using exclusively sustainable cotton.

“Sustainability is an integral part of the adidas business philosophy. We have continued to invest in sustainability initiatives during the coronavirus pandemic and we will significantly expand our range of sustainable products in 2021. To this end, for example, we have worked with our suppliers to create the structures that make it possible to process recycled materials on a large scale. Not only does our commitment make adidas more sustainable, but it also drives the development of the whole industry,” said adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted.

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 also collaborating with its partners to develop plant-based leather, recycled cotton as well as a particularly climate-friendly running shoe.

Furthermore, regarding cotton, Adidas is participating in the development of recycled materials. In a research cooperation with Infinite Fiber, a Finnish start-up company, Adidas and additional partners strive for developing a process to transform used clothes into a cotton-like material.

Adidas is working closely together with its suppliers to implement climate and environmental protection measures at the sites of partners in the supply chain. Various projects with suppliers aim to reduce carbon emissions and water consumption as well as preserve an intact environment.

Adidas sets its own standards, which often go beyond legal requirements at the locations of manufacturing.

Since last year, Adidas has committed to the so-called ‘Science-based Targets’, allowing independent external partners to evaluate the climate goals of the company. The objective is to reach climate neutrality by 2050, globally and at all suppliers.