Run for the Ocean Challenge
As we approach World Oceans Day on June 8, Adidas and its longstanding partner Parley for the Oceans are once again encouraging the global sporting community to turn the activity into action and Run for the Oceans in 2022.
For the first time, new activities have been introduced to the challenge, making this the most inclusive Run for the Oceans yet. People from all parts of the global sporting community are invited to hit the streets, the tennis court, and the football field, and unite to help protect the oceans from plastic waste.
Launching between May 23 – June 8, the event returns for its fifth year. It comes with the same ambition of mobilizing a generation to help end plastic waste. Research shows that the world is at a tipping point. They predict that oceans will contain more plastic than fish by 2050.
We need action from everyone, everywhere to create true change. This year Run for the Oceans will expand to welcome a wider range of activities. When we all come together, we can help make a world of difference.
For every 10 minutes of running from select activities, such as running, tennis, or football*, recorded by participants via the Adidas Runtastic app, Joyrun, Codoon, Yeudongquan, or Strava, Parley will clean up the equivalent weight of one plastic bottle from beaches, remote islands, and coastlines before it reaches the ocean (up to a maximum of 250,000kg).
Katja Schreiber, SVP of Sustainability at Adidas said:
“Time is against us in the race to help end plastic waste, so we’re pushing harder and with more focus than ever before. Just like how this is an industry-wide problem, it requires industry-wide solutions, because sustainability is a team sport. By uniting our sporting community for this challenge, we can inspire real action against plastic waste by giving people an experience where their actions and way of being active contribute toward cleaning up the ocean.
It’s important that our own brand commitments reflect the situation with which we are faced and that’s why we’ve committed to our goal of replacing virgin polyester with recycled polyester in our products by 2024 wherever possible.”
Adidas and Parley’s Partnership
Since 2017, Adidas and Parley’s Run for the Oceans is uniting millions of runners worldwide. Together, running a total of more than 81.7 million km.
Adidas and Parley’s partnership began in 2015. Since then, they have made more than 50 million pairs of shoes. Not to mention close to 18 million pairs in 2021 alone. That includes plastic waste from beaches and coastal communities, preventing it from polluting the oceans.
For 2022, Adidas x Parley has announced the launch of Adizero X Parley and Ultraboost 22 X Parley. With a carbon footprint of just 3.5kg per pair, the Adizero X Parley is the first time Adidas and Parley have combined to launch a lower footprint concept. It’s a milestone for the partnership through innovation and with no compromise on shoe performance.
From raw material interception, processing, and packaging, all the way to the end of product life. Adidas calculates and communicates its carbon footprint, conforming to an internationally recognized standard: ISO 14067. The footprint results made available provide full transparency on the complete lifecycle of the product.
The Adidas x Parley partnership shows that progress is happening on the path to helping end plastic waste. However, there is still more to be done.
