The three stripes brand and the NGO Parley for the Oceans are celebrating the fifth anniversary of their partnership with several initiatives to limit marine pollution and put an end to the global plastic crisis. A reinforced collaboration which has notably resulted in the presentation of a new pair of sneakers made from recovered and recycled materials.

Launched at the United Nations in 2015, the Adidas and Parley for the Oceans partnership aims to eliminate plastic marine pollution with a three-fold strategy: a maximum effort to avoid the use of plastic, interception of plastic waste in the environment which can then be recycled to make Ocean Plastic, and innovation with the introduction of new materials. When it was initially announced, the partnership presented a prototype pair of sneakers with uppers made from recovered and recycled materials. 

Five years later, Adidas and Parley are still working hand in hand to end plastic marine pollution. The three-stripes brand has recently announced a commitment to phase out virgin polyester from its collections. By the end of 2020, the brand will ensure that more than 50% of polyester used in its products is sourced from recycling, and by 2024, it aims to exclude virgin polyester completely.

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New materials to eradicate marine pollution

On the occasion of the fifth anniversary of their collaboration, Adidas announced that it would be a founding partner in the Parley Institute for Material Science, which aims to develop new materials to replace plastic in the long term.

"... The next step for us, in partnership with Adidas, is to develop a completely new generation of materials to see all these harmful substances -- that are destroying our planet, that are destroying our future -- go. You can expect from us to come up with new fabrics and technologies that build on what we see in nature," pointed out Cyrill Gutsch, the founder and CEO of Parley for the Oceans.

The two partners also unveiled "Adidas Parley UltraBOOST DNA" sneakers, which are made from recovered and recycled materials and directly inspired by the prototype pair presented five years earlier. The limited edition shoes will enable the sportswear brand to donate 30 euros to Parley for each pair purchased over a three-day period.

Adidas also pointed out that since the launch of its partnership in 2015, it has produced some 30 million pairs of shoes using Parley Ocean Plastic.