Adidas has announced plans to more than double production of shoes containing recycled plastic waste, increasing from five million last year to 11 million in 2019.
This comes after the manufacturing giant collaborated with environmental organisation Parley for the Oceans to intercept plastic before it enters the sea in countries like the Maldives.
In addition to footwear, the salvaged plastic has been used for apparel including a Champions league jersey for FC Bayern Munich and Alexander Zverev's outfit for the Australian Open.
Adidas board member, Eric Liedtke, said: With Adidas products made from recycled plastic, we offer our consumers real added value beyond the look, functionality and quality of the product, because every shoe is a small contribution to the preservation of our oceans.
The latest announcement is just the latest in a long line of environmental projects undertaken by Adidas.
The company recently signed the Climate Protection Charter for the Fashion Industry at the UN Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland, and agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030.
It has also committed to using only recycled polyester in every product and on every application where a solution exists by 2024, and has not used plastic bags since 2016.
Where the use of plastics is unavoidable, Adidas relies on counterbalancing measures, and has made a ‚Ǩ1.5m (£1.3m) donation to the Fashion for Good platform, which develops sustainable alternatives.
And as a member of the Better Cotton Initiative, the company only sources sustainably produced cotton.
Sustainability at Adidas goes far beyond recycled plastic, said executive board member Gil Steyaert, responsible for global operations.
We also continue to improve our environmental performance during the manufacturing of our products. This includes the use of sustainable materials, the reduction of CO2 emissions and waste prevention.
“In 2018 alone, we saved more than 40 tons of plastic waste in our offices, retail stores, warehouses and distribution centres worldwide and replaced it with more sustainable solutions.
Image credit: iStock
