Sportswear giant Adidas has built a sustainable American football pitch in Florida, using 1.8m recycled plastic bottles.
The bottles were collected from nature – at remote islands, beaches, coastal communities and shorelines – in order to prevent them from ending up permanently in the eco-system.
Each bottle was then washed and treated before being converted and used as infill for the synthetic 3G pitch.
The pitch has been installed at the Miami Edison High School, where it will be used by the school in official games.
According to James Carnes, vice president of brand strategy at Adidas, the project is part of the company's commitment to becoming climate neutral by 2050 – as well as using manufacturing methods which will prevent plastics from polluting the ocean.
"We believe that through sport we have the power to change lives, and we are dedicated to creating that change," Carnes said.
"Since 1998, we’ve been developing and introducing innovations to end plastic waste. Our commitment to eliminate the use of virgin polyester in our products by 2024 helps us get one step closer to being a more circular company.
"We're not just focused on changing how we do business – we're dedicated to changing how our industry does business."
