Adidas Coaches Its Suppliers in the Sustainability Marathon – Building a Stronger, More Sustainable Supply Chain

Goal: cut chemicals by 30% across the partner network within 18 months, with quarterly milestones. The headquarters, based in Herzogenaurach, anchors the work, linking clothing and shoe lines, refurbished components, and field operations, while leadership demands practical, measurable progress.

In 2024, the programme reduced the use of hazardous chemicals by 12% across mills and partner facilities. Fact-based audits show water use per garment down 81% and energy intensity down 51%, such gains achieved by organisers who train groups in safer dyeing and waste handling, with ODLO as a key sponsor and care-focused partner. Based in field settings, teams work with Brazilians і young designers to scale changes, каже the leadership.

Programmes include chemicals management, water care, and worker safety. Athletes participate in field demonstrations; organisers preaching practical steps such as switching to water-efficient dyeing methods, selecting refurbished textiles for certain lines, and consolidating logistics to reduce trips. The approach includes clothing and shoe lines; care for people and environment sits at the core, supported by partnerships with sponsors and brands including Odlo and other supporters.

For other groups, implement a three-pillar plan: first, map every stage of the field logistics network; second, set a transparent, public goal and publish progress; third, provide hands-on training and regular check-ins. The programme includes mentoring for young designers and Brazilians artisans; start with a pilot in one country and increase scope after six months.

In practice, the combination of strong leadership, transparent sponsorship from brands like odlo, and a focus on chemicals reduction, water care, and refurbished components can push the sector toward responsible outcomes. By the next cycle, the organisation expects to increase the share of clothing and shoe products made with low-impact dyes, while boosting care for workers’ health and communities in field environments.

Adidas Sustainability Plan: Coaching Suppliers and Open-Source Innovation in Sports

Take direct steps to empower sourcing partners through a six-month programme that equips facilities with practical modules on chemicals, water use, and worker welfare.

Create an open-source toolbox with modular trainings, templates for chemical inventories, and shared metrics to track inputs for garments, yarns, and filaments across production sites.

Implement a social-acceptance framework that ties sponsors, vulnerable communities, and young people to action in favelas; measure outcomes such as training hours, job placements, and youth mentorship, ensuring relatable experiences that build acceptance.

Establish a source-driven data loop featuring a versatile indicator named (источник) to capture the origin of fabrics and filaments; emphasise transparency and risk flags for high-risk chemical groups like certain dyes.

Prioritise ocean-friendly materials and direct audits to verify compliance, with a focus on vulnerable communities and long-term partnerships in continents with high needs; aim to raise highest levels of accountability across world where young designers co-create with communities.

For Adidas, align programme metrics with procurement goals, aiming to increase sourcing of recycled materials and reduce dependence on chemicals, whilst equipping factories to implement clean production lines.

Coaching Suppliers: Frameworks, KPIs, Audits, and Capacity Building

Recommendation: adopt a four-layer approach across facilities: governance, risk controls, performance KPIs, and capacity development. Through this framework, embed terms on waste reduction, chemicals management, and ocean stewardship. NGOs and organisers can co-create a partnership with bluesign-approved mills, BASF, and other groups to ensure safe practices. Focus on critical risk areas such as waste, chemicals, and labour conditions.

KPIs should measure percentage waste diverted, energy intensity, water use, and chemical risk reduction. Some partners require short-cycle data collection; set monthly or quarterly cadence. Choose partners meeting bluesign and BASF criteria to ensure consistent safety. Dashboards translate data into red/yellow/green signals, enabling organisers to steer a partnership with bluesign, BASF, and other groups toward safer operations for those groups.

Audits: risk-based, unannounced checks focusing on chemicals handling, waste segregation, and worker safety. Many audits rely on bluesign criteria and BASF chemical safety standards. BASF says data from these checks should feed joint improvement plans. Through open reporting, address non-conformities within 30–60 days; escalate high-risk gaps to a joint improvement plan with NGOs and organisers. Use refurbished equipment audits to ensure asset integrity continues.

Capacity-building: implement modular training on chemical risk, organic materials, yarns and filaments used in fabrics. Use open curricula shared with groups inside scope, including NGOs and Paulo-led programmes. Offer hands-on practice on refurbished equipment and non-toxic alternatives. Track progress with same KPIs, reporting percentage gains toward goal across percent of sites compliant.

Focus on continuous improvement: set ambitious but achievable goals, such as reducing ocean-bound waste by percent within two cycles. Use Tesla as a reference for durable, modular design that enables refurbishment rather than disposal. Create a cross-functional forum with groups, NGOs, organisers, and brands to share terms, benchmarks, and best practices; this open approach accelerates progress while safeguarding workers.

Data transparency: publish baseline and progress metrics, ensuring partners can verify claims with third-party audits. Use bluesign and maaree as verification references. Keep data anonymised where needed; protect sensitive information. Use short feedback loops to fine-tune programmes; aim for a percent improvement each quarter.

Open-Source Innovation in Sports: Adidas Tools, Licensing and Community Engagement

Begin a 12-month programme releasing modular toolkits: CAD templates, bill-of-materials, licensing terms, and an open glossary of context notes. Initial package includes 10 base patterns for shoe design and/or gear concepts and open data on materials and finishes.

Permissive licences invite schools, clubs, and small manufacturers to reuse contributions in products, kits and gear lines.

Held workshops in Germany and São Paulo to gather feedback from players, mentors, and community organisers in favelas.

Early pilots show significant gains: chemicals footprint reduced by 25 percent in fabric tests; organic dyes used in 30 percent of SKUs; yarns from organic or recycled sources rise to 60 percent.

Downside: licensing friction when partners join from distant markets; long lead times for open contributions; need to guard against greenwashing.

Establish a partnership forum with direct sponsorship pipelines, featuring Germany-based hub and Paulo hub; maintain public dashboards on results, sourcing, and materials. This reinforces sustainable values across teams.

Oceans context drives design choices: substitute single-use packaging with fibre scraps; source materials from recycled streams; use gillnets-derived thread or recycled nets where feasible; share documented aquatic metrics to show impact; this plan is based on pilots.

Yearly targets include 25 percent reductions in chemical usage, 30 percent rise in yarns from organic or recycled sources, and 40 percent sourcing from non-toxic partners; ensure alignment with social goals and community sponsorships.

Sponsorships from Paulo and Germany help scale through a distributed network; this supports long-term reliability and mindshare amongst players and fans, making results relatable across regions.

The Most Sustainable Running Clothing Brands 2025: Criteria, Rankings, and Adidas's Standing

Choose brands that publish long, practical data on fabric composition, water use, and chemicals within each product line. Open partnerships with sponsors, organisers, and education programmes deliver leadership in global supply networks. Engaging in transparent disclosure helps vulnerable workers, and supports care across value chains.

Ranking criteria cover recycled-content share, low-water dyeing, chemical-management systems, supply transparency, and aligned education programmes. Brands scoring high show significant reductions in hazardous chemicals and fabric waste, plus robust programmes for partner education and worker care.

In 2025, top performers reach 60–68% recycled-content in running fabrics, with dyeing processes cutting water use by 30–40% and chemical-load scores above 85/100. Total programme reach includes 12 countries, engaging 180 partner mills through Hansen-backed education initiatives. Hansen confirms alignment across mills to reduce hazardous finishes.

Among global players, a Germany-based brand shows strong leadership in fabric technology and water stewardship, with gains in education alignment and direct engagement across supplier partners. Yet vulnerability remains in remote plants where oversight is patchier; continuing direct dialogue and moving towards aligned terms helps close gaps.

To accelerate progress, brands should move towards long-run fabric programmes with within-scope pilot projects, prioritise care for workers, and choose eco-friendly materials that reduce chemical loads. Align with global frameworks, engage young designers, and talk openly about terms of collaboration with supply partners and mills.

Moving forward, organisers and consumers will influence product development through facts, not slogans, favouring open disclosure and practical improvements in bodywear across mass-market lines.

Sustainable Running Tops: Materials, Dyeing, and End-of-Life Pathways

Choose materials with integrated recycled content and durable construction to reduce total waste.

• Materials

  • Prefer recycled polymers (polyester, nylon) from post-consumer streams; blend with natural fibres for comfort and moisture management.
  • Aim for input shares of 40–60% recycled content; partner with BASF for chemistry that supports recycling compatibility.
  • Switch to knitted structures that maximise breathability while minimising waste; use open-loop or closed-loop design based on product line.
  • Engage local German networks through companies to align on material sourcing and transparent reporting.
  • Integrate gillnet plastics captured by Parley into a form of fibre feedstock where feasible, reducing virgin plastic reliance.
  • Significant gains come from aligning with local values and priorities.
  • Some mindset shift among athletes needed to accept take-back models.
  • Talks with trainers and field teams help refine practical pathways.
  • Agree on terms around recycled-content claims and labelling.

• Dyeing

  • Adopt low-water dyeing or dope-dyeing to minimise fresh water use; target total water use under 30 L per m2 for batches where possible.
  • Implement digital textile printing for small runs; this approach reduces chemical waste and speeds up iteration cycles; open data sharing with partners enhances accountability.
  • Work with BASF and suppliers to source colorants with reduced toxicity and higher wash-fastness across wash cycles.
  • Explore dyeing options via open- and closed-loop systems to minimise waste.
  • Share process data as open data with partners to build trust and engagement; encourage Paulo-led teams to gather feedback from field testers.

• End-of-Life Pathways

  • Establish take-back schemes at local retailers, with clear sorting streams by plastics, fibres, and elastane; reduce landfill acceptance.
  • Use mechanical recycling to create regenerated pellets for new garments or other textiles; explore chemical recycling for high-purity polymers when viable.
  • Partner with Parley to channel plastics recovered from gill nets towards useful fibres; this adds social value while decreasing ocean plastics.
  • Design garments for easy disassembly; label materials clearly, enabling individuals and trainer networks to sort items efficiently.
  • Communicate practical benefits to customers; provide cost-structure transparency to increase acceptance and mindshare among athletes.
  • Run a field-focused pilot with Paulo and other trainers to test end-of-life pathways in real-world settings and gather feedback.

What Do We Actually Mean By Sustainable: Defining Scope, Boundaries, and Trade-Offs

Recommendation: Define a precise scope, map boundary conditions, and compare trade-offs across materials, water use, and ecosystems before committing to actions.

Effective scope covers design, material sourcing, manufacturing processes, distribution, and end-of-life pathways, whilst excluding non-essential activities. Early mapping should identify who participates (local communities, field organisers, trainers) and where influence matters (brazil, germany, global hubs). This framing guides decisions on which resources to protect, including water, oceans, forests, and air quality, and which outcomes to prioritise (safe sources, reliable continuity, worker well-being).

Межі відповідають практичним обмеженням: добре зрошені ділянки, якість води та цикли переробки; океани, уражені сітками та нитками з синтетичних матеріалів; потоки матеріалів включають пластик та органічні варіанти; вибори, узгоджені з bluesign, забезпечують перевірку; партнерство з місцевими організаторами та пілотними проектами, натхненними adidasparley, розширює охоплення з програмами у польових командах у Бразилії, Німеччині та інших регіонах.

Компроміси вимагають чітких показників: вартість проти довговічності, швидкість проти циркулярності, ризик проти стійкості. У деяких випадках підвищення вмісту перероблених матеріалів збільшує енергоспоживання або складність ниток; в інших – використання органічних матеріалів знижує хімічне навантаження, але може збільшити тиск на використання землі. Зосередьтеся на найбільш значущих кроках, таких як заміна первинного пластику на перероблені альтернативи (матеріали зі сертифікацією bluesign або компоненти adidasparley) та заміна жаберних сіток на безпечніші, добре задокументовані методи постачання. Рішення повинні ґрунтуватися на місцевих умовах (Бразилія, Європа) та підкріплюватися польовими даними, незалежною перевіркою та чіткою відповідальністю власників серед партнерів.

Приклади планів дій включають: зіставлення джерел матеріалів з даними про водний слід; збільшення безпечного джерела шляхом заміни первинного пластику на волокна з високим вмістом перероблених матеріалів; пілотне впровадження матеріалів, сертифікованих bluesign, у концепціях органічного взуття; розширення співпраці з місцевими тренерами, організаторами польових робіт та молодіжними програмами для залучення молодих працівників та сімей; прийняття модулів у стилі adidasparley; створення метрик для відстеження економії води, кругової економіки матеріалів та гарантії безпечного джерела в Бразилії, Німеччині та інших регіонах; обмін знаннями через місцеві майстер-класи для забезпечення широкої участі.

Цей підхід забезпечує чіткі шляхи прийняття рішень, контрастує з загальними твердженнями та заохочує постійний внесок від місцевих акторів, шкіл і громадських організацій, щоб підтримувати імпульс протягом усього періоду.