Thinking of ocean pollution as simply a big problem will be a serious understatement. As per the Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization of the UN, there were 46000 pieces of plastic floating in every square mile of the ocean. This plastic debris is solely responsible for the death of more than a million seabirds as well as 100000 sea mammals each year and this is just what we already know. The full impact of plastic on sea life is largely unknown.
In order to be able to raise awareness on such issues, Adidas, the German sportswear brand has joined together with Parley for the Oceans. Together they recently revealed a new project, a prototype shoe which has an upper made completely from illegal deep-sea gillnets and recycled ocean waste.
The gillnets were retrieved over a 110 day period spent tracking a poaching vessel which was finally caught near the coast of Western Africa.
As per Cyrill Gutsch, founder of Parley for the Oceans, their main aim is to establish the oceans as an important part of the climate change debate. They want to boost awareness among the public and inspire fresh collaborations which may contribute to preserve and protect the oceans.
He also said that they were proud to have Adidas on board this mission and that they were using their creative juices to turn worthless ocean plastic into something usable.
Earlier, when this partnership was announced, Adidas also said that it was going to be phasing out plastic bags at all their retail stores.
Eric Liedtke said that Adidas has always focused on sustainability and that their latest partnership will allow them to explore new areas & create innovative products and materials for athletes.
This concept shoe which hasn’t been given a name yet is not going to be hitting shelves the way it is currently but something that is quite like it will be launched very soon. This shoe is simply an illustrative concept for the shoe that is going to be released later on in this year.
