Adidas create sustainable sports fields from recycled plastic

Adidas create sustainable sports fields from recycled plastic

By Liam Taylor  February 11th, 2020

The world’s second largest sportswear manufacturer has created a sustainable sports field by using recycled plastic from an extraordinary 1.8 million plastic bottles.

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The world’s second largest sportswear manufacturer has created a sustainable sports field by using recycled plastic from an extraordinary 1.8 million plastic bottles.

According to the company, the plastic bottles were sourced from remote islands, beaches, coastal communities and shorelines in a partnership with Parley to ensure it would not pollute the ocean or threaten marine species. These bottles, equivalent to about 18,000kg of plastic waste, was then washed and treated before being transformed into infill, a pellet-like material that is essential to artificial pitches.

Infill is responsible for the traction of players’ footwear and cushion in the case of falls, making it a critical component of the performance and safety of playing fields. The current standard for artificial sports fields and pitches is to use virgin plastics and re-ground rubbers, meaning they could provide an excellent opportunity for recycled plastic material.

The upcycled plastic field was donated to Miami Edson High School. Cameron, Collins, the North America director of football at Adidas said the project was testament to the company’s dedication to sustainability.

"We believe that through sport we have the power to change lives, and this field is a demonstration of our taking action on that belief," Mr Collins said in a statement.

"More than a place for these young athletes to play, it's a reminder of our collective responsibility to end plastic waste."

 

Positive Action

  • Buying and using recycled products closes the recycling loop and saves the resources and energy that go into making products from virgin materials. For more ways you can buy it back, check out our Recycled Products Directory.

 

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Positive Environment News has been compiled using publicly available information. Planet Ark does not take responsibility for the accuracy of the original information and encourages readers to check the references before using this information for their own purposes.

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By Liam Taylor

Prior to joining Planet Ark Liam spent his time studying global environmental issues, travelling Southeast Asia on the cheap and working for a sustainable property management company in Bali, Indonesia. Joining the communications team at Planet Ark, he hopes to inspire positive environmental behaviour through effective and positive messaging.

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