Adidas creates new Real Madrid and FC Bayern Munich kits from recycled ocean plastic as part of eco-innovation drive
Adidas has released environmentally friendly football kits for two of its biggest teams in Bayern Munich and Real Madrid as part of its ongoing partnership with ocean conservation group Parley to help addresses the major threats which the world's oceans are facing.
Bayern Munich and Real Madrid's new Parley kits
The new home jerseys have been made from up-cycled marine plastic debris and feature water-based environmental-friendly prints for the crests and sponsors branding. Printed on the back neck tape of each top is “For the oceans”.
Bayern Munich’s jersey is all-red with red Adidas strips on the shoulders and monochromatic dark red club crest and T Mobile branding. The Adidas and Parley logos are present on the lower left outer tag and the kit is completed with red all-red shorts and socks.
Real Madrid’s kit follows a similar approach with an entirely white kit featuring tone-in-tone 3 stripes on the shoulders and subtle monochromatic logos on the front for the badge and Fly Emirates branding.
Both jerseys are priced at £64.95, the Bayern kit is already on sale and will be worn by the team for their fixture against Hoffenheim tomorrow (5 November). The Real Madrid kit will be released on 24 November, two days before the team will wear it during the La Liga fixture with Sporting Gijón.
“This represents another step on the journey of Adidas and Parley for the Oceans,” said Eric Liedtke, Adidas’ group executive board member responsible for Global Brands.
“We have not only managed to make footwear from recycled ocean plastic, but have also created the first jersey coming 100% out of the ocean. But we won’t stop there. We will make one million pairs of shoes using Parley Ocean Plastic in 2017 – and our ultimate ambition is to eliminate virgin plastic from our supply chain.”
Cyrill Gutsch, founder of Parley for the Oceans, said: “At this point, it’s no longer just about raising awareness. It’s about taking action and implementing strategies that can end the cycle of plastic pollution for good.
“Eco innovation is an open playing field. With the release of the Ocean Plastic jerseys and Ultra Boost Uncaged adidas x Parley shoes, we’re inviting every consumer, player, team and fan to own their impact under Parley A.I.R. and define their role within the movement.”
The new collaboration is part of an ongoing partnership with Parley for the Oceans, which has also yielded a new line of Adidas Ultra Boost footwear created from recycled plastic found in oceans from around the world. As part of its eco-innovation mission with Parley Adidas has vowed to create a minimum of one million pairs of the sneakers by the end of 2017.
The environmentally friendly marketing approach with the new kits rounds off a strong year for the German brand which recently reclaimed the no.2 sport in the US from Under Armour and doubled its share of the US athletic footwear market to 9%.