Global athletic brand Adidas plans to stop using first-run or “virgin” plastic in its products by 2024. The company says by then, it will use only recycled plastic. The story was first reported by the Financial Times.
The company says it will also stop using virgin plastic in its offices, retail stores, warehouses and distribution centers. The decision is expected to save forty tons of plastic per year and is expected to go into effect this year.
The decision to remove plastic from its product lineup will also include polyester. Polyester is a synthetic material used in all types of athletic garments including t-shirts, athletic shorts and sports bras. It’s lightweight, dries quickly and is also an inexpensive substitute for cotton.
The German sportswear company is the latest global brand to institute a plastic ban plastic in its operations.
Last month IKEA pledged to become climate positive by 2030. In order to achieve the goal, the Swedish furniture manufacturer will remove all single-use plastic products from its stores by 2020. That includes cups, utensils, straws, beverage stirrers and similar items.
“Our ambition is to become people and planet positive by 2030 while growing the IKEA business. Through our size and reach we have the opportunity to inspire and enable more than one billion people to live better lives, within the limits of the planet” said Inter IKEA Group CEO Torbjörn Lööf in a statement.
The company also plans to reduce its climate footprint by an average of 70% per product and achieve zero emissions home deliveries by 2025.
And last week, global coffee giant Starbucks announced it will be phasing out plastic straws from its more than 28,000 stores worldwide by 2020. In place of straws, the company will be bringing into use a lid with a teardrop-shaped opening about the size of a thumbprint.
Starbucks goes through more than 1 billion plastic straws a year, according to the company, because of the surge in popularity of its cold-temperature drinks. The move is in response to demand from both partners and customers.
“This move is an answer to our own partners about what we can do to reduce the need for straws,” said Colleen Chapman, vice president of Starbucks global social impact overseeing sustainability.
“Not using a straw is the best thing we can do for the environment,” she added.
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