Every good corporate citizen has a charitable cause and gives back to the community. Pollution in the water, air and noise have been increasing due to growth in economic activities, and corporations become increasingly scrutinised for their business practices.

Earlier this month, it was reported that a pilot whale died in Songkhla, Thailand with plastic bags jammed in its stomach. This is just one of the many cases involving plastics being dumped in the oceans that are affecting marine life. Fortunately, we have the likes of green ambassador Sir Richard Branson fighting for the protection of the oceans, and just a few days ago, Volvo pledged to have 25 percent recycled plastics in its cars from 2025.

adidas is addressing this issue today with more urgency by releasing shoes made with recycled plastics, building a community engagement program to raise awareness of this problem and pledging USD 1 million to Parley for the Oceans.

To find out more about Adidas x Parley For The Oceans, please read this related article.

Since announcing its partnership with Parley in 2015, adidas has been developing performance sportswear crafted from Parley Ocean Plastic™. From backpacks to tees, the use of Parley materials are most notably seen in the recently launched Solarboost and the flagship Ultraboost shoes.

This is the second consecutive year that adidas and Parley for the Oceans are calling on their global communities to unite in one movement against marine plastic pollution. 12 major running events across six key cities will be jointly hosted, with weekly running programs involving 50 Adidas running communities globally.

adidas will also match a USD 1 donation for every kilometre that is tracked from 8 June to 8 July, capped to its USD 1 million pledge. High-profile adidas ambassadors including Gareth Bale, Kaka and Tori Bowie will spearhead to spread this message.

Launch in Singapore

adidas Singapore kicked off Run For The Oceans on the morning of 9 June at Aloha Sea Sports Centre at East Coast Park, attended by more than 150 runners from the adidas Runners Singapore communities. adidas Creators Eugena Bey and Victoria Cheng who are also avid divers, shared about their love of the oceans and the worrying sight of plastic waste polluting the waters.

The group then downloaded the Runtastic App to their mobile phones to track their running distances, and proceeded for a 5-kilometre run. Other adidas creators including Joakim Gomez, Danial Ashriq, Sherlynn Tan and Iman Fandi were present.

Can You Contribute?

adidas invites everyone to be a part of this movement to raise awareness for the threat of marine plastic pollution. All good things start with a good intent. You only need to download the Runtastic App on your mobile phone to track your step; it is not required for you to put on adidas gear.

adidas intends to include you to be a part of a larger global community to share its cause to save the Oceans. To date, almost 240,000 runners have signed up.
As cliché as it may sound, sports does unite people generally, and more so if it is for a noble cause.

To find out more about the Run For The Oceans and sign up here. Follow the conversation at @adidasrunning on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and using #RunForTheOceans, #adidasParley, #UltraBOOST.