Advertisement
Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products.

Adidas expands beyond Parley with new recycled plastic fabrics

The materials will help Adidas achieve its goal to only use recycled polyester for shoes and clothing by 2024.

Back in 2018, Adidas pledged to only use recycled polyester for its shoes and clothing by 2024. Now, the sports apparel giant has revealed a detailed roadmap towards achieving that goal and has also introduced Primeblue and Primegreen -- two new fabrics that use 100 percent recycled polyester. Its goal for 2020 is to make sure that 50 percent of the polyester it uses for products comes from recycled sources. Next year, it plans to work with sports partners in the US to transition to more sustainable uniforms, so expect to see more sponsored teams rocking clothes that were partly made from recycled materials.

Adidas has also committed to reducing the company's carbon footprint by 30 percent (compared to 2017) in 2030, a few years after it fully transitions to recycled polyester. By 2050, it's hoping to achieve climate neutrality.

The company says Primeblue and Primegreen will help it ditch non-recycled plastics completely within the timeframe it set for itself. Primeblue contains Parley Ocean Plastic, a fabric made from plastic waste from the seas, and is already being used for some of its goods. The company will also release an Adidas x Parley capsule collection, including an Ultraboost 20 variant, as part of its Super Bowl-week promotions this year. Meanwhile, Adidas will start using Primegreen, a fabric that also contains no virgin (or newly created) plastic, later this year in its products.

James Carnes, Adidas VP for Brand Strategy, said in a statement:

"We believe that through sport we have the power to change lives, and we are dedicated to creating that change. Since 1998, we've been developing and introducing innovations to END PLASTIC WASTE. Our commitment to eliminate the use of virgin polyester in our products by 2024 helps us get one step closer to being a more circular company."

The new fabrics' introduction is part of Adidas' Recycled Loop strategy, which focuses on using recycled plastics for products. Adidas has two more strategies in its bid to stop contributing to plastic wastes, though. Its Circular Loop strategy focuses on products that were "made to be remade," such as its fully recyclable Futurecraft Loop running shoes. Finally, Adidas' Bionic Loop strategy is all about the company's ambition to create products that can be reused and remade before they're returned to nature.