Global Forum for Sports and Environment
Adidas Environmental Report
There are environmental impacts associated with our products at all stages of their lifecycle, from product design to distribution. Our greatest environmental impacts occur at our suppliers・sites, where more than 95% of the Group痴 products are manufactured. We help suppliers establish environmental management systems as the best way for them to reduce their environmental impacts. Using the environmental performance of our own production sites as examples of best practice, we have developed appropriate guidelines and training programs for our suppliers. The area where we have control is in determining what goes into our products. Our approach is to seek to design out polluting materials and processes and increasingly to adopt sustainable materials instead. We have a number of initiatives in place: ・Material selection policy; Material selection policy We do not source raw materials from any endangered or threatened species as defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) in their red list. We also do not use leathers from animals that have been inhumanely treated, whether these animals are wild or farmed. Sustainable cotton We have investigated using certified organic cotton, which is expensive and more difficult to find. It also does not sufficiently address the biggest environmental issue with growing cotton, which is excessive water use. We are now party to a five-year multi-stakeholder initiative called 腺etter Cotton稚hat seeks to train cotton farmers to adopt a more sustainable approach to farming. Recycled materials A pilot project in Vietnam experimented with recycling waste rubber soles to make new shoes and soles. To meet quality standards, different mixes of new and recycled material were tried and feedback from the customer was considered. But even though no major quality problems occurred, this concept was not applied as a global policy for all rubber applications. Reasons for this are significant color and design limitations in applying this technology. The approach will be continued for certain rubber designs depending on the model of shoe. Eliminating PVC In 2000, we decided to eliminate PVC from our products. Alternatives have been found and introduced for most uses. However, in a few countries, alternatives are not available so some local production of athletic footwear products still use PVC sporadically. Restricted substances In2005, we have further updated and extended our existing policies and internal procedures for control and monitoring of restricted substances to ensure that products are environmentally safe. Materials supplied to the adidas Group must meet the findings and developments. They must prove that materials comply with our standards by providing test reports from independent external test institutes on a regular basis. Environmental metrics Our environmental activities continued to focus on the collection of suppliers・environmental data, and the reporting of this data to SEA under parameters that are defined in the Sustainable Compliance Guidelines. A detailed set of environmental indicators has been developed with our key footwear suppliers in Asia. This covers more than 95% of adidas footwear production, including football boots for the 2006 tournament teams. This set of indicators measures, tracks and analyses the environmental impact of footwear manufacturing operations. The indicator system has become a reliable management tool for our footwear suppliers helping them to not only measure consumption of resources but also identify potential savings. Figures we collected show the following average environmental impact per pair of footwear in 2005: Integrated Product Policy (IPP) Working with the Environmental Ministry of Bavaria, the Reducing VOC emissions Volatile organic compounds can be found in primers, adhesives and cements that are used in the manufacturing process of sports shoes and equipment. They can cause breathing difficulties and other health complaints for workers. Since 2000, we have been committed to reducing VOC emissions in footwear factories. Our target has been 20 grams per pair of shoes in each factory. We have extended the reach of our efforts to other suppliers who use auxiliary materials that can emit VOCs. Source: LINK : |
Looking after the environment is essential if we are to preserve living conditions today and for future generations. Managing environmental issues has also become a critical success factor for business. Environmental awareness drives innovations and resource savings, leading to efficient production and reduced costs.