Adidas | Sustainable Goals for 2021

“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. To this end, for example, we have worked with our suppliers to create the structures that make it possible to process recycled materials on a large scale. Not only does our commitment make Adidas more sustainable, but it also drives the development of the whole industry,” said Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted.

• For the first time in 2021, Adidas will use more than 60 percent recycled polyester in its products. From 2024 onward, adidas is committed to using only recycled polyester. The ‘Primeblue’ and ‘Primegreen’ labels mark products made with recycled materials. While offering full functionality and durability in sports, they avoid waste and preserve natural resources.
  
  From the beginning, adidas designers consider the later reusability of their product in its development: The Ultraboost DNA Loop, which was raffled off to interested consumers in October 2020 for the first time, is made from one single material from sole to laces and is welded without glue. Once the shoe reaches the end of its life cycle, it can be shredded to pieces and reused. In the spring of 2021, adidas will launch the successor in a larger volume. 

• With the environmental organization Parley for the Oceans, in 2021, Adidas 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.

• Adidas will continue expanding its vegan product offer. For Adidas, sustainability means using less plastic and less animal material. In 2020, adidas launched vegan versions of several classics such as the adidas Stan Smith, which quickly became bestsellers. This year, adidas seeks to break new ground: Together with partners, adidas is developing a new material, a purely biological leather alternative made from mycelium, and will use it for the very first time in the creation of footwear. In addition, adidas has committed to ‘Vier Pfoten’, an animal protection organization, to completely ban furs from the manufacturing of its products.

• In cooperation with partners, adidas is developing plant-based leather, recycled cotton as well as a particularly climate-friendly running shoe.

• In partnership with the company’s suppliers, adidas aims to achieve global climate neutrality by 2050 and in its entire supply chain.

• Adidas places its first sustainability bond.