Why Circularity Matters
The fashion industry faces a waste challenge. Nearly 100 million tons of textiles are discarded every year, with less than 1% recycled into new garments. Circularity isn't just a buzzword, it's a departure from the old take-make-dispose linear model and a move toward a closed-loop system. The goal? Minimize waste and make better use of resources by extending product lifespans and recovering materials at the end of use.
OUR APPROACH
adidas has explored different aspects of circularity for more than a decade. This includes increasing the use of recycled materials, advancing circular design principles, and piloting circular services such as sneaker cleaning, rental programs, and take-back initiatives in different markets. Along the way, we've realized that scaling circularity is complex. It requires the right infrastructure, shared industry standards and collaboration across the entire value chain.
Circularity is a team sport. Every player in the value chain needs to work together. That is why today we focus on the part of the value chain where we have the greatest control and impact, while also supporting the broader ecosystem by working with suppliers, collectors, sorters, recyclers, innovators, and researchers. In short, we focus on what we do best and collaborate with industry partners to move the rest forward.
KEY MILESTONES IN OUR CIRCULARITY JOURNEY
Our circularity journey has evolved over time through product innovation, new materials, and industry collaboration. Explore some of the key milestones below.
Partnership with Parley for the Oceans
Partnered with Parley for the Oceans and unveiled the first-ever shoe made in part with yarn from discarded fishing nets.
KEY INITIATIVES
MADE TO BE REMADE
adidas has been a pioneer in creating products with a circular end-of-life solution, known as ‘Made to Be Remade’ (MTBR). This journey began with the introduction of the Futurecraft. Loop shoe in 2019, a 100% mono-material performance running shoe that was made according to circular design principles. We successfully scaled this proof of concept to a fully commercial MTBR apparel and footwear collection through 2023.
TEXTILE TO TEXTILE RECYCLED POLYESTER
We set a new goal for our polyester consumption - by 2030, 10% of all polyester used in our products will come from textile waste. This shift marks an evolution from recycling plastic bottles to reusing textile waste – a critical step as polyester remains our most commonly used material. Evolving recycling technology has enabled us to set this ambitious target. Over the last couple of years, recycled polyester made from textile waste has become accessible at relevant scale.
T-REX PROJECT COMPLETION
T-REX is a publicly funded EU research project aimed at creating a blueprint for how household textile waste can be sorted and recycled in a closed loop across Europe. The three-year initiative, led and coordinated by adidas, brought together 13 key participants from the entire value chain. After its successful completion, the project generated insights that now shape our circularity strategy and industry advocacy. The findings from the project inform adidas’ ambition to drive systemic change in the industry. Looking ahead, adidas will continue to build on the insights from T-REX through future projects and collaborations and plans to work closely with industry stakeholders and the EU Commission to shape future regulations. Learn more about the project on the T-REX Project Website.
CIRCULARITY PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATION
Circularity cannot be achieved by one company alone. It requires collaboration across the entire value chain. We work with key partners on research projects to develop new recycling technologies, increase the use of certified recycled materials, and create frameworks to drive circularity across the fashion industry. Explore our key partnerships and projects below:
TEXTILE EXCHANGE
Textile Exchange is a global non-profit driving beneficial impacts on climate and nature across the fashion, textile, and apparel industry. Textile Exchange helps the fashion, textile, and apparel industry to reconnect with the resources it uses. We have been actively contributing through working groups related to the materials we use. Our partnership is all about a shared ambition: accelerating the shift to preferred materials.
Through this collaboration, we helped accelerate the shift to recycled polyester at scale, bringing brands and suppliers together to strengthen the recycled polyester textile supply chain. By investing in advanced recycling technologies and closed-loop systems, we reinforced Textile Exchange’s push for innovation in material sourcing. With our target already achieved in 2023, we’re now focused on scaling textile-to-textile recycled polyester by 2030.
FASHION FOR GOOD
Fashion for Good is an innovation platform and accelerator that supports startups, technologies, and pilot projects aimed at making fashion more circular and sustainable. Through our collaboration, adidas contributes to several initiatives designed to advance circular solutions across the value chain. These include the Sorting for Circularity (S4C) project series across Europe, India, and the USA, which assesses non-rewearable textile waste infrastructure and current barriers. Additional initiatives include the Tracing Textile Waste Project, which improves the traceability of textile waste streams, and Closing the Footwear Loop, which focuses on advancing recycling solutions for footwear within the EU. adidas also participated in the ReWear project, which generated insights into how rewearable textiles move through global resale and recycling systems after consumer disposal.
WASTE MANAGEMENT
OUR APPROACH
Avoiding waste at its source is key to effective waste management. At adidas, we enhance planning and demand forecasting to minimize waste generation, coordinating across functions and using innovative tools for efficiency throughout our value chain. After waste avoidance, we focus on reusing and recycling, reducing disposal volume and improving valorization. Responsible waste handling is essential for compliance and the efficiency of value chains.
Key Initiatives
MANAGING WASTE IN OUR SUPPLY CHAIN
To drive waste reduction across our supply chain, we have developed waste management guidelines to improve segregation in manufacturing, ensuring materials are sorted efficiently for recycling or recovery through co-processing. We further strengthened our waste-handling process, including upskilling facilities to work with credible waste treatment vendors, collaborating with partners across industries to enhance waste segregation practices and improve data accuracy across various waste streams. These efforts have contributed to a 95% landfill diversion rate among suppliers enrolled in our environmental program in 2025.
To promote supply chain circularity and meet industry standards, we expanded partnerships in regions to advance waste recycling. Through internal consultations with Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, we identified challenges and gathered input to inform our 2030 strategic roadmap for textile recycling systems.
MANAGING WASTE IN OUR OWN OPERATIONS
Within our own operations, we are strengthening waste management by improving data accuracy and enhancing tracking of different waste streams. We continue to upskill teams to ensure better data collection and reporting, enabling more effective waste management strategies. In 2024, we maintained an 89% waste diversion rate across our administrative offices and distribution centers. These results reflect our ongoing efforts to reduce waste and drive responsible waste management throughout our own facilities.
Circularity
At adidas, we define circularity as maintaining the value of products and materials at their highest level for as long as possible. This aligns with the UN Environment Programme's definition in its report 'Sustainability and Circularity in the Textile Value Chain'.
Circularity
At adidas, we define circularity as maintaining the value of products and materials at their highest level for as long as possible. This aligns with the UN Environment Programme's definition in its report 'Sustainability and Circularity in the Textile Value Chain'.