Over 60% of Adidas products to be sustainable in 2021

For the first time in 2021, over 60 per cent of Adidas products will be made with sustainable materials like recycled polyester or sustainable cotton. With this, the company moves closer toward its objective to end plastic waste, it said recently. From 2024 onwards, Adidas will shift to using only recycled polyester. Since 2018, it has been using exclusively sustainable cotton.

Since 2015, Adidas has been collaborating with the environmental organisation Parley for the Oceans. This year, the company 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.

“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,” said Adidas chief executive officer Kasper Rorsted in a press release.

Adidas is continuously expanding its vegan product offer and completely renounces the use of fur. In cooperation with partners, adidas is developing plant-based leather, recycled cotton as well as a particularly climate-friendly running shoe.

In partnership with suppliers, it aims to achieve global climate neutrality by 2050 and in its entire supply chain.

Company-owned photovoltaic systems with a current installed capacity of 1.4 megawatts generate green electricity and it has reduced its overall carbon footprint at its sites by more than 50 per cent compared to 2015.

The Adidas sustainability bond amounting to €500 million issued in September 2020 was five times oversubscribed. Proceeds from the offering will be used in endeavours like procuring recycled materials, investing into renewable energy production and supporting underrepresented communities, the press release added.