Four Teams to Wear the First adidas MLS Club Jerseys Made from Parley Ocean Plastic™
Today, adidas and Major League Soccer join us in raising awareness around the harmful impact of marine plastic pollution with the unveil of four adidas MLS Parley club jerseys. The kits—each made from technical yarns containing Parley Ocean Plastic™—will be seen on-pitch for the first time when New York City FC host Orlando City SC, and when LA Galaxy welcome reigning Champions Seattle Sounders on Sunday, April 23rd at Yankee Stadium and StubHub Center, respectively.
The new MLS jerseys expand on the message of the adidas FC Bayern Munich and Real Madrid C.F. Parley Jerseys introduced in November 2016, bringing it to the United States for the first time. The new MLS white and grey jerseys feature alternative colorway details and are crafted from Parley Ocean Plastic upcycled from plastic debris intercepted by our cleanup operations in coastal areas of the Maldives. The intent behind this growing show of support is summed up in the three words on the back-neck tape detailing found in each jersey: “For the Oceans.”
Since the announcement of the adidas and Parley partnership in April 2015, the focus of the collaboration has been not only to raise awareness, but to drive real change through the brand’s commitment to implementing the Parley AIR Strategy (Avoid, Intercept, Redesign). As a part of the “redesign” pillar, adidas is committed to increasing the use of eco-innovative materials such as Parley Ocean Plastic in its products as a replacement for virgin plastic, and to setting new industry standards led by creativity and collaboration.
In partnership with Major League Soccer and its Community Outreach program MLS WORKS, the two brands use the sport of soccer as their global platform to support the Parley movement and especially our education and communication programs with the intent to end marine plastic pollution for good.
"Every second breath we take is generated by the oceans. And still, we are at war with the sea. We are killing it off in rapid speed. Now is the time to negotiate peace with our life support and to invent our way out of this mess. Soccer can lead the way. It shows what we can achieve with the right balance of creativity, collaboration and technology. Let's accept the oceans defense as our biggest challenge and protect the air we need."
Cyrill Gutsch, Founder, Parley
In the lead-up to Earth Day and the April 23 matches, Parley founder Cyrill Gutsch and members of the Parley community spoke to NYC FC players, coachers, and employees about the impacts of marine plastic pollution and the Parley approach to solutions.
