Collection corner

A new wave

Without concerted global action, the Ocean Conservancy says there could be 1 ton of plastic for every 3 tons of fish in the world’s oceans by 2025. To help to end plastic pollution in oceans, shoe manufacturer Adidas has partnered with Parley for the Oceans to collaborate on projects that can protect and conserve the waters.

The pair recently launched the UltraBoost Uncaged Parley running shoes, the world’s first mass-produced footwear created using recycled plastic from oceans. The upper part of the shoe is made entirely of yarns and filaments reclaimed and recycled from plastics found in oceans. Adidas says it plans to make 1 million UltraBoost shoes, which are designed to look like ocean waves, by the end of 2017.

Wear it out

Clothing company Patagonia has for years accepted its products back once they reach the end of their useful lives. The items are either recycled or repurposed. With its most recent clothing line, Recollection, Patagonia says it has incorporated “as many recycled materials as possible” into the vests, shirts, coats, pants, skirts and pullovers.

Each of the 10 styles in the Recollection line is made of recycled materials, including 100-percent-recycled down, wool and polyester; 85-percent-recycled polyester labels; 80-percent-recycled zippers; and 50-percent-recycled buttons.

Granting convenience

Sometimes it takes having the right tools to get the job done. Thanks to Keep America Beautiful (KAB) and The Coca-Cola Foundation, thousands of people will have easier access to recycling after the two groups donated more than 4,500 recycling bins.

The Coca-Cola/KAB Public Space Recycling Bin Grant Program addresses two primary barriers to recycling in public spaces: access and convenience. In total, the program will provide 3,522 recycling bins to colleges and universities, along with 996 bins to local governments and nonprofit organizations.

More than 45 percent of the bins are designed for permanent, ongoing use in public spaces, such as athletic fields, K-12 schools, fairs and festivals, special events and park settings, with the remaining 55 percent to be used in college residence halls.