Earlier this year, Adidas went “blue” when it announced its partnership with Parley for the Oceans, an initiative created to conserve the world’s oceans by helping to keep them free from harmful litter and pollutants. Both Adidas Group and Parley for the Oceans believe this must be a collaborative effort – one that will allow consumers to participate in through retail and future activations. The core of the program will be three prong: Communication and Education, Research and Innovation and Direct Actions against Ocean Plastic Pollution.
Last year, Adidas Group launched its first “green” initiative in one if its European stores. With this new initiative, Adidas will stop using plastic bags in all of its retail stores.
“In 2014 we brought sustainability to our own stores when we introduced our first ‘green’ retail concept in our HomeCourt store in Nuremberg, Germany,” stated Frank Henke, adidas Group Vice President for Global Social and Environmental Affairs. “Stopping the use of plastic bags in our stores is a primary example of this and the right thing to do.”
The Adidas Group plans to integrate the use of Ocean Plastic waste into their materials to create new and innovative products. Raising public awareness about the plight of our oceans, and the environment as a whole, is something both the Adidas Group and Parley for the Oceans are concerned about.
Cyrill Gutsch, founder of Parley for the Oceans, is concerned about the state of our oceans, and realizes that no one person or group can turn it around. He said, “Together, we will not only focus on creating the next generation of design concepts, technologies, materials and products. We will also engage consumers, athletes, artists, designers, actors, musicians, scientists and environmentalists to raise their voice and contribute their skills for the ocean cause.”
And you can expect to see more initiatives and collaborations such as this in the future from the Adidas Group. Adidas has incorporated into its brand and philosophy the idea of “sustainability innovation.” Sustainability innovation is innovation that influences the environmental footprint of the products that are developed. Adidas currently has a line of products that help to reduce carbon emissions, and are used to help to save water, chemicals and energy such as the Adidas DryDye and Formotion.
Adidas approaches innovation from an environmental perspective – creating high performance products to make a better athlete and a better world. When Adidas uses the word “green,” consumers know it is not talking about profits, but about saving our world – an issue that can broaden its consumer base because it is something we all should care about, and something we can all do.
Here you can download all of adidas’ social and environmental publications to date as well as the environmental statements of their own factory in Scheinfeld, Germany.