adidas: Most Eco-conscious Product Line United States 2018

If sustainability were a race, adidas would be the endurance runner dominating it. The athletic apparel giant recognises that sports need a space to exist — whether it be a mountain to climb or an ocean to surf — and is dedicated to safeguarding those spaces for generations to come. The company’s Sustainability Roadmap addresses sustainability throughout the sport lifecycle. The holistic approach of its strategies targets all the spaces where sportswear is made (design or manufacturing facilities), sold (retail locations), and played (stadia, courts, pitches). At adidas production facilities, little goes to waste. The company has pioneered low-waste textile production processes, creating product lines made with recycled materials at maximum pattern efficiency. The result? A winning combination of streamlined simplicity: less waste, fewer parts, and more sustainable materials. Adidas is a founding member of the Better Cotton Initiative, which warns against the negative impacts of mainstream cotton farming and sources its cotton with more sustainable practices. Many adidas products are created using a “DryDye” process, which eliminates water in the dying process, or a “NoDye” process, which skips the dyes to showcase materials in their natural colours. In partnership with Parley for the Oceans, in 2015 adidas launched a line of trainers made with upcycled plastic collected from beaches and coastlines — and sold more than a million pairs last year. The company has also ditched plastic bags throughout its retail chain. The CFI.co judging panel applauds its sustainability leadership, and names adidas the 2018 winner of the award for Most Eco-conscious Product Line USA.