Adidas has taken approximately 1.8 million plastic bottles and turned them into a sustainable football field.
A typical turf field uses a large amount of virgin plastics and re-ground rubber.
James Carnes, vice president of global brand strategy for Adidas, told CNN that the sustainable field that the company built was made from plastic bottles sourced from remote islands, beaches, coastal communities and shorelines – all with the goal of preventing it from polluting the ocean.
The plastic was washed and treated before it was transformed into infill, which was used to build the artificial field.
The infill looks like pellets, and it is critical to the overall function of the field, as it influences the playability, performance and safety of the conditions of the field. It is responsible for the traction of the players, and it also serves as a cushion for players when they slide, dive or fall.
“We believe that through sport we have the power to change lives, and this field is a demonstration of our taking action on that belief,” Cameron Collins, the North America director of football at Adidas, said in a statement. “More than a place for these young athletes to play, it’s a reminder of our collective responsibility to end plastic waste.”
The apparel company donated the field made from upcycled plastic waste to Miami Edison High School, which is a short drive away from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, the site of Super Bowl LIV.
Miami Edison High School borders the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami, which has produced a number of current and former NFL stars such as T.Y. Hilton, Chad Johnson, Antonio Brown, Amari Cooper and Devonta Freeman.