Is Adidas Greenwashing? An In-Depth Look!

Sport is the foundation of everything we do. It is essential to our health and pleasure and is fundamental to all cultures and societies.

Focusing mainly on athletic footwear, Adidas was founded by Adolf Dassler, elder brother of Rudolf Dassler, in 1949.

The brand, recognized by many, believes in changing lives through sport and this is its main foundation. Its focus is to produce sports goods that meet every athlete’s demands.

It claims to be sustainable and good for the planet, bringing people of all cultures together through sport.

But is it really sustainable? Or is it just greenwashing?

Fashion labels boast greatly in an attempt to attract a different type of customer. However, companies are disguising their inaction with deceptive assertions of environmental commitment. This is known as greenwashing.

Many famous and well-known fashion brands are guilty of greenwashing if the environmental promises they make on their labels are not supported by data.

This is the situation where businesses present themselves to the public as environmentally conscious while continuing to pollute the environment in secret.

These brands claim that they use recycled materials but because fashion is created in ever-increasing quantities, they are unable to keep these promises.

Adidas has been accused of greenwashing and misleading people around the world. To know more about it, keep reading the article till the end.

Sustainability Rating: 4/10

Category: Clothing, footwear, accessories

For: Men, women, kids

Products: Hoodies, sweatshirts, T-shirts, tops, pants, jackets, coats, shorts, tracksuits, jerseys, dresses, skirts, sports bras, maternity, sneakers, running shoes, bags, socks, water bottles, balls, gloves, swimwear, pumps, sandals, boots, sneakers

Style: Trendy, classic

Quality: Medium to High

Prices: €

Sizes: 2XS-2XL, 0-20 (US), 2-26 (UK), 26-52 (DE), 28-54 (FR), 32-58 (IT)

Fabrics: Nylon, acetate, cotton, polyester, polyurethane, linen, viscose, acrylic, neoprene, leather,

100% Organic: No

100% Vegan: No

Ethical & Fair: No

Recycling: Yes

Manufacturing countries: Germany, USA, China, Panama, Netherlands, UAE, Hong Kong, Switzerland

Certifications: GRS, RCS, RWS, LWG, FSC,

Interpretation Of The Sustainability Score

Adidas receives a sustainability score of 4 out of 10 indicating that it is aware of the negative impacts of the fashion industry and is starting to implement sustainable practices.

It provides some useful information on the website, but there are many controversies that need to be addressed.

What Are The Sustainability Practices Of Adidas?

The brand realizes the importance of sustainable practices and how fashion industries can make an impact. They claim to be the quite opposite of fashion, creating only durable and long-lasting products.

They claim to have adopted the following sustainable approaches:

• Using recycled materials more in their products
• Developing a 2024 initiative to replace virgin polyester with recycled polyester
• Currently using Parley Ocean Plastic instead of virgin polyester
• Using at least 40% organic cotton
• Using LWG-certified leather in their shoes
• Reducing carbon footprint by producing durable products
• Constantly working on future goals
• Using more plant-based materials and working with multiple startups
• Using paper-based packaging instead of the plastic one

Now, the real question is, are they really telling the truth? Or is it all just a façade? Why are people questioning the brand if it claims to be sustainable and is constantly working to improve itself?

In 2022, Zero Waste Frances filed a complaint against the brand for its greenwashing tactics for promotion. They claimed Adidas for lying about being sustainable while it’s not doing anything to be actually called one.

The brand also claims to be using recycled bottles in its shoes, which doesn’t really work as once converted to fiber, they cannot be recycled any further and must be disposed of or burned when their useful life is over.

However, if the bottle is left in its original form, it can be recycled or reused numerous times. As a result, textiles actually contribute to more pollution than do bottles.

Moreover, Adidas was also accused of greenwashing when it launched its Stan Smith sneakers. They claimed to have made them from 50% recycled content with a logo saying “end plastic waste”.

The French Advertising Ethics Jury found the brand guilty of misleading its consumers. They specifically called the logo misleading as the sneakers will end up in waste and the “end plastic waste” slogan will eventually be untrue.

What Are The Ethical Practices Of The Brand?

They claim to be ethical and fair. Their policies include:

• Promoting and engaging in human rights. This means they believe in treating everyone with dignity, respect, and fairness.
• Establishing anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies. This enables them to treat every employee with dignity and respect.
• No involvement in corruption, bribery, and fraud.
• Establishing the Integrated Management System (IMS). This helps them work in an eco-friendly manner, saving energy and natural resources.
• No use of child, forced, and prison labor.
• Fair practice in their factories.
• Working with those business partners who are also sustainable.
• Engaging in responsible and ethical sourcing.

However, the brand has been accused of not treating its employees fairly. In 2022, more than 5,600 garment manufacturers went on strike at one of Adidas’ Cambodian factories.

The factory responded by having three union leaders arrested, which basically goes against Aadidas’ code of ethics.

Moreover, the brand refused to pay the Cambodian workers who were laid off in 2020. During that year, the brand was accused of using forced Uyghur labourers.

Claiming to be ethical and sustainable is one thing, but actually staying true to it is quite another.

What Are The Animal Welfare Policies Of The Brand?

Adidas states that it sourced cruelty-free materials to manufacture its products as recognized by the Five Freedoms Animal Welfare framework.

This means that the animals used to source their products are free from malnutrition, hunger, physical abuse, pain, and injury of any kind. Moreover, only those animals are used who are slaughtered for food production.

They don’t use the following animal-derived products as they have claimed to be defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature:

• Leather
• Fur
• Angora wool
• Exotic skin
• Downs derived from live birds
• Merino wool

But is the brand really cruelty-free as it claims to be?

Now, Adidas has been seen slaughtering kangaroos to manufacture shoes from their skin. As shown on many news channels, civilians have protested against this cruel approach and called the brand inhumane.

Adidas has proven to be greenwashing time and time again, claiming to be sustainable, ethical, and cruelty-free, when in reality, the brand has been seen doing quite the opposite.

This triggers anyone who’s eco-conscious and wants to invest in fashion brands that stay true to their words.  

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3diAvMAymE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlAWwcAuiyA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSYa_sC56mo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5hGCyimNus

https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/france-ngo-files-complaint-against-adidas-new-blance-over-allegations-of-greenwashing/

https://careerinlaw.net/uk/jury-finds-adidas-guilty-of-greenwashing

https://www.tiktok.com/@venetialamanna/video/7158489906120051973

https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/cambodia-union-leaders-arrested-after-over-1000-workers-protest-outside-adidas-supplier-over-alleged-violations-incl-delayed-wages/

https://www.just-style.com/news/exclusive-comment-cambodia-workers-strike-at-adidas-shoe-factory/