The Parley AIR strategy emphasizes the fact that we greatly depend on our environment, so much so that what we don’t realize is that every other breath we’re able to take is thanks to our oceans. adidas and Parley have worked hand in hand in a powerful collaboration in order to provide the world with a louder voice to make change, resulting in less plastic and harmful supplements in products used by the masses. They believe that with everyone's help our oceans will be preserved for others to enjoy in the future.
PARLEY FOR THE OCEANS OR HOW TO STOP PLASTIC POLLUTION
Parley is known to be a voice for the ocean and an organization that believes in standing up for it in order to keep it the clean and beautiful treasure that it is. Anyone can help supporting this organization and nature itself by committing to one small change, whether it be recycling a water bottle or using reusable straws, to name a few. All of the habits that we’re used to are constantly hurting our environment and our future generations, and we have to be aware of it. adidas has been collaborating with them since 2015, and we’ve had the opportunity to chat with Silvia Raccagni, Parley’s Director of Communication, last Thursday in Barcelona, on the occasion of the Run for the Oceans.
Parley for the Oceans links companies, organizations and the creative industry to think of and collaborate on joint projects that raise awareness as well as propose practical, thoughtful and creative solutions to plastic pollution. How would you describe the company’s relationship with adidas and its evolution over time?
Indeed, Parley is an environmental organization that is focused on working on projects that help save and protect the oceans. And, basically, we define ourselves as a collaboration network that brings together artists, scientists, environmental organizations, NGOs, and also companies. This way we can come up with solutions that can actually be implemented towards the protection of the oceans. The evolution of this collaboration has been Run for the Oceans, which started in 2017. It’s this movement that brings together the power of sport with a cause, in this case the oceans. We bring people together so they get to know about the beauty and fragility of the oceans, but also, to give them a chance to take action and really be part of the movement. So when we started it, we had one event and 15000 people in total. Last year, globally, a million people had signed up digitally. So it’s a movement that is in constant evolution.
On their own, both Parley and adidas have been very successful companies, yetso far together you make a much stronger team in order to promote the goals each of you have. When did this collaborative effort first start? And what would you say is the ultimate focus/goal of this partnership?
The collaboration with adidas actually started in 2015. That was the year when the partnership was announced and the first prototype shoe was shown to the world. From the very beginning, we have been focused on a specific area, which is the Parley AIR strategy. Parley has devised a strategy for the solution of plastic pollution, it’s called AIR – avoid, intercept, and redesign. And the name is very symbolic because it refers to the air we breathe. When we talk about it, we want people to understand the importance of the oceans, they really provide the oxygen that we breathe, so it’s critical that we protect it as well as the life that lives there. So, when you come to ‘avoid, intercept, design’, it’s really how we see the solution of plastic pollution: avoid plastic whenever you can, especially stop producing new virgin plastic; intercept plastic and recycle it, if possible; and redesign is the look into the future.
As for Parley, the ultimate goal is really to replace plastic for good. We see it as a design failure because it’s a material that never goes away. Boosting recycling now is a really good thing because it allows to stop using new plastic, but the ultimate goal for us is to develop new materials that will be able to replace plastic for good, materials that really work in tune with nature so that they just decompose on its own.
Since the partnership between adidas and Parley started, what specific measures has adidas taken in order to assist in Parley’s goal of keeping our environment/oceans clean?
Basically, from the very beginning, adidas has been implementing the Parley strategy with ‘avoid’, meaning taking immediate actions such as banning plastic bags in store – that was done on the very first year. Also, making a commitment that by 2024 they will replace virgin polyester for recycled polyester, so stop producing new plastic. They’re supporting Parley in the interception program that retrieves plastic in remote islands, coastal communities, beaches, etc. And then this waste gets up-cycled and turned into products such as, for instance, what I’m wearing now [points at her shoe]. The sole is made of this filament that comes out of plastic waste and is called Ocean Plastic. It’s a filament that Parley invented and now can be used on the making of shoes and jerseys. We really need to look into this future together to identify new materials that, in the future, will be able to replace plastic for good. So from the very beginning, adidas has been a supporter of Parley, of the Parley strategy, and together, we’re working for plastic-free oceans, as we say.
sneakers and apparel – I’ve read the creative motto somewhere ‘From threat into thread’. Also, adidas will be donating one dollar per run kilometer at the Run for the Oceans Event. Is the future of fashion and sportswear inevitably linked to sustainable practices?
At Parley we don’t really use the word ‘sustainability’, we use the word ‘econnovation’ because we feel that the future is really about redefining it and your practices. Indeed, not just the fashion industry but all industries will need to switch gears and adopt new practices.
You recently stated that it’s not just about the oceans’ pollution, it’s about our ability to survive once we’ve destroyed them since the oceans produce up to 70% of the world’s oxygen. What role do you feel concepts like ego, selfishness or even the survival instinct play in all this? Are we so self-centered that the only way to save fish, sea life and water is by thinking of our own extinction?
This is purely my point of view, but when you say that people sometimes might not make the connection that the oceans are so important, they just see it as a place to go on holidays. I think that really reiterating how important the oceans are and really the air that we breathe comes from them is really key to make people understand that we depend on the oceans. That’s why we want people to understand that everybody can be part of the movement and that anyone can make a small step. And every small step contributes.
How do you feel we can apply Parley’s AIR philosophy in our daily lives as citizens?
We say it’s easy to apply the AIR philosophy to individuals, especially if you take the ‘a’ of avoid. Each of us can start pretty much now to avoid using single-use plastics – that plastic that you use once and then toss away, like the one on a bag, bottle, cutlery, etc. You don’t need it. It might not be easy in the beginning as it requires a behavioral change, but once you start, it becomes a very easy thing to do because it becomes a habit.
Some governments seem to be taking action to face the problem. For example, the European Union will ban single-use plastics from 2021 onwards. Do you feel like governments are doing enough? Could you name one or two laws/initiatives by states that you feel go in the right direction and are practical?
We believe in the power of the private sector that can really drive change. Of course, when you have actions by the European Union like banning single-use plastics, that is very much welcomed. Canada, also very recently, announced that same ban and once it gets implemented, it can change the country. I wouldn’t overnight, but when you have a deadline, you have a deadline and you need to go by it. But, ultimately, as we believe at Parley, this is everybody’s work, and that’s why we want to bring people together. Solutions can come from every corner.
Last one. Regarding the ocean and plastic pollution, what’s your biggest fear and your biggest hope?
My biggest hope is that as many people as possible will join us. I guess my biggest fear is that the future generations will not be able to enjoy the oceans the way I’ve been able to enjoy them so far.
