One day before Earth Day 2023, Adidas published a press release announcing a new “Personal Best” milestone in the brand’s journey towards replacing virgin polyester: 96 percent of all polyester used in Adidas products is now recycled polyester. The company said that the achievement of the ambition that Adidas first set in 2017 – to replace all virgin polyester with recycled wherever possible by the end of 2024 – is on track to be achieved earlier than expected.
Since the first Adidas high-performance shoe was made with recycled materials in 2015, the brand has been working towards reducing its dependency on virgin polyester. Last year it announced that in 2021, more than 90 percent of the polyester used in its products was recycled, which – if it had been virgin polyester – would have accounted for 390 thousand metric tons of CO2e – the equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions generated to provide power to 50 thousand homes in the U.S., according to the Adidas Footprint Analytics team. According to Textile Exchange, global recycled polyester fiber production volume increased in 2021 but still accounts for just 14.8 percent of all global polyester production.
Adidas says that the road to 96 percent has been full of challenges. The confirmation of its polyester commitment in 2017 was a crucial step in helping to initiate a transformation across Adidas and its entire supply chain. This transformation has been made possible by creating technical solutions and imagining new possibilities that previously didn’t exist. The brand has created a short film about its new Personal Best, featuring star athlete Jazmin Sawyers to accompany its announcement. The film, available soon, highlights the sports brand’s pride in making progress and its determination to push further.
Looking ahead to 2024 and beyond, Adidas wants to continue to expand its focus beyond recycled polyester. It will do this through three main areas of focus: Changing materials by testing and scaling new raw materials, rethinking entire processes to design products with a circular end-of-life solution, and reducing its carbon footprint. Further information can be found at adidas.com/sustainability.
