450 million pairs of sports shoes are all made of old plastic, what does Adidas rely on to achieve this

Adidas plans to replace all plastic used in the manufacturing of shoes and clothing with recycled polyester by 2024, making it another major company after brands such as Starbucks and Dunkirk to set plastic as an environmental goal.

Our goal is to completely eliminate virgin polyester by 2024, "Eric Lidtke, Adidas' global brand leader, said in a recent interview with the Financial Times.

About 50% of the 9.2 million items sold annually by Adidas are made of polyester, a type of plastic. Recycled polyester is also plastic, it's just recycled old plastic and plastic waste. Moreover, recycled polyester is about 10-20% more expensive than virgin polyester.

Adidas has been collaborating with a marine ecological organization called Parley for the Oceans for over two years, launching a series of running shoes made from marine plastic waste each year - the Primeknit upper of this series of running shoes is made of polyester yarn made from this plastic waste. Last year, the brand sold one million pairs of Ultraboost Uncazed Parley, priced at 179.95 euros, which is much more expensive than regular running shoes. The goal for this year is to sell 5 million pairs, and 11 million pairs in 2019.

But even if it sells 11 million pairs, this number only accounts for 3% of Adidas' annual sales of 450 million pairs of sports shoes. It will be a significant project to completely replace the use of recycled polyester before 2024.

Adidas' environmental marketing needs to make a big leap forward, as more and more large companies sign conventions or make verbal commitments to boycott plastics.

The trend of resisting plastic is rolling in. Following suit was IKEA, which promised to eliminate all disposable plastic tableware in its stores and restaurants by 2020; Then there was Starbucks, which announced last week that it will completely phase out plastic straws next year. For most large companies following this trend, choosing recycled plastic is a relatively affordable and impressive approach compared to completely abandoning plastic.

A report released by the World Economic Forum in 2016 pointed out that at least 8 million tons of plastic enter the ocean each year and warned that by 2050, there may be more plastic in the ocean than fish.

As consumers learn about what kind of products they are consuming from documentaries like "Blue Planet" or news like "Ocean Garbage Nation," brands naturally begin to turn plastic resistance into a bigger movement and promote it.

The advantage of large companies joining is that it may drive down the cost of recycling plastics in the industry. Eric Lidtke said that the price difference is the reason why the group needs to spend 6 years switching to recycled polyester. "We cannot absorb all the costs in one year

But recycled polyester also has its drawbacks, as any polyester fabric will shed microfibers, which is a major cause of marine plastic pollution. Sander Defruyt of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which is committed to accelerating the transition to a circular economy, said that using recycled plastic or replacing it is the right thing to do, but it is not a one size fits all solution.

To some extent, this is also a gamble for brands that invest in environmental protection to win the favor of consumers today. Once scientific research discovers new evidence that questions what is currently considered sustainable products, how to respond becomes an awkward issue - outdoor brand Patagonia has previously used recycled plastic bottles in their clothes, but it has been pointed out that these clothes will shed tiny fibers during the washing process, pollute the ocean, be swallowed by fish, and enter the food chain. The company currently states that they are still researching technologies to reduce fiber shedding.

In addition, in May of this year, brands such as Nike, H&M, Burberry, and Gap announced their participation in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Make Fashion Circular program to reduce waste in the global fashion industry by recycling raw materials and products.

Fast fashion giants H&M and Zara have launched in store recycling programs, placing clothing recycling bins in stores to encourage consumers to reduce the disposal of old clothing. World brands are developing in the same direction, indicating that the trend of recycling raw materials in the footwear and apparel industry is constantly strengthening.

On the 13th, Nike launched a new concept store Nike Live in Los Angeles, USA, with the first store named Nike by Melrose.

The biggest change for Nike by Melrose in retail compared to other stores is that the product update cycle is shorter. In this store, approximately 15% of clothes and 25% of shoes are changed every two weeks. Previously, Nike had never changed products so quickly; Usually it takes 30 to 45 days.

In addition, the store combines a variety of NikePlus membership features, including product reservation, checking inventory quantity and color, online customer service, and more. The use of these technologies is also the first time in Nike physical stores.