Adidas release football shirts made from upcycled plastic ocean waste

Sportswear giant Adidas is continuing its partnership with Parley Ocean Plastic with the launch of football kits for all 23 Major League Soccer (MLS) teams made from upcycled plastic waste intercepted on beaches and in coastal communities.

The Parley jerseys were created exclusive to coincide with Earth Day, which saw all MLS teams playing over the weekend taking to the field wearing kits made from Parley Ocean Plastic, to raise awareness and inspire action around the harmful impact of marine plastic pollution.

“We are proud to continue to build upon our collaborative efforts with MLS and Parley for the Oceans to inspire creative solutions for protecting the world’s oceans,” said Ernesto Bruce, senior director of Adidas Soccer. “We believe in the innovative partnership we have forged and hope that these kits made using Parley Ocean Plastic inspire the soccer community to join us in preserving our precious environment.”

The 2018 edition of the jerseys comes in two colourways, non-dye and carbon, differentiating the two teams in each game. Each product is crafted using Parley Ocean Plastic upcycled from plastic intercepted on beaches and in coastal communities. Once collected, the original plastic source is reworked into technical fibres that can then be repurposed for use in products that catalyse change and equip its drivers.

To highlight the mission, each shirt has the message “For the Oceans” featured in the inside of the neck tape detailing, and each club’s name is featured on the back-neck.

Cyrill Gutsch, founder of Parley, added: “Creating change and playing soccer feels very similar. You strategise, you dive into the game and give everything you have. That’s why you never truly lose. You just get better and better. And suddenly victory is yours, as if it is the most normal thing in life.

“The good thing with this partnership: with all 23 Major League Soccer teams flying our jerseys, the Oceans always win!”

The adidas 2018 MLS Parley jerseys for all 23 clubs are available for purchase online at Adidas and the official MLS online store.

Images: courtesy of Adidas