Dive Brief:

• Athletic apparel and footwear company, Adidas, announced that it will begin creating products made from plastic ocean waste.
• Adidas will partner with Parley for the Oceans, a team of artists, scientists, musicians and designers, to reduce the volume of waste discarded in oceans around the globe and to increase research, innovation, communication, and education.
• The two groups will work to create fibers made from ocean waste, then use the materials in shoes and clothing.

Dive Insight:

Adidas has embraced sustainability efforts in the past. In the immediate future, the company plans to eliminate plastic bags at all of its 2,900 retail locations. In 2014, the company sourced 30% of its cotton from sustainable sources. The company opened its first green retail shop in Germany; the store is operated by an intelligent control system and uses energy-efficient devices to lower its carbon footprint. 

Entertainer Pharell Williams also created apparel made from plastic waste harvested from the ocean. In September 2014, Williams took the plunge into sustainability when he launched his fashion collection G Star’s Raw for the Oceans line. The fiber incorporates recycled ocean debris into a material called Bionic Yarn.