Adidas has a history of sustainability wins. On multiple occasions, it has received accolades for its sustainability efforts. Recently, it even debuted a new shoe — not just any shoe though: one that’s 100% recyclable. Even after this revolutionary feat, it appears Adidas is only continuing to strengthen its push for greener products.

In a continued effort to tackle product waste, Adidas recently launched two sustainable high-performance wear prototypes in collaboration with designer Stella McCartney. The brand new apparel includes the first ever mass-produced garment using innovative technology to repurpose old cotton into new material.

Adidas Releases a Recyclable Hoodie

The first unveiled piece is a 100% recyclable hoodie, the first of its kind. Made of garment waste, 60% NuCyclTM, and 40% organic cotton diverted from landfills, the Infinite hoodie is unique and eco-friendly. Textile innovations company Evrnu, which pioneered the NuCyclTM technology, partnered with Adidas to make the hoodie.

According to Evrnu, the process involves transforming old, discarded clothing into raw materials used to create new, premium-quality clothing. Due to the product’s sustainable engineering, the hoodie is fully recyclable and can be remade into new high-performance apparel.

Adidas Releases a Biodegradable Tennis Dress

The second product, a tennis dress made from MicrosilkTM and cellulose blended yarn, is also the first of its kind. Made of MicrosilkTM, a protein-based material comprised of renewable ingredients such as water, sugar, and yeast, the dress is completely biodegradable.

Bolt Threads, a company dedicated to finding alternative, eco-friendly fibers and fabrics through bioengineering, played a joint role in making the Biofabric Tennis Dress.

The Adidas – McCartney Collaboration Goes Way Back

In an Adidas press release, the company stated this push for a greener fashion industry acts as a response to the roughly 92 million tons of textile waste produced annually. McCartney, having a long history of using sustainable materials, labels the fashion industry as among the most environmentally harmful. She also said stalling research for alternative, sustainable materials is no longer an option.

Since 2005, Adidas and McCartney have proven a groundbreaking team in attaining sustainability in fashion. Last year, the two partnered for a women’s activewear line made entirely of recycled materials. Specifically, Adidas used plastic found in oceans and organic cotton to manufacture the clothes in the line.

“By creating a truly open approach to solving the problem of textile waste, we can help empower the industry at large to bring more sustainable practices into reality,” McCartney said. “With Adidas by Stella McCartney, we’re creating high-performance products that also safeguard the future of the planet.”

Conclusions

With Adidas taking major steps to champion sustainability, it may encourage more popular brand names to do the same. To achieve a more sustainable fashion industry, it will undoubtedly require more companies to rethink the way they create products. Recently, Burberry made an unexpected commitment, while H&M was slammed for “greenwashing,” or misleading consumers about the extent in which the company practices sustainability, if they do at all.

Adidas has come out with sustainable apparel without compromising for style.

Regardless, what Adidas has shown is that it is possible to create sustainable apparel without compromising for style. If more businesses in fashion industry make a similar shift, it would have profound positive implications for the environment.