New York, N.Y. (May 26, 2022) – Major League Soccer and adidas are once again raising awareness and inspiring action surrounding the impact of marine plastic waste by featuring customized Primeblue uniforms made from a high-performance recycled material and Parley Ocean Plastic™. The jerseys will be worn on field by MLS clubs May 27-29.
Committed to taking steps to address its environmental impact, MLS and adidas’ teamed up to create Primeblue jerseys which are made from plastics intercepted from beaches, coastal communities, and shorelines, preventing them from polluting the ocean. Once collected, the original plastic source is reworked into technical fibers that can then be repurposed for use in either apparel or footwear. The high-performance yarn features more than 50% Parley Ocean Plastic™ on each jersey.
“Major League Soccer is committed to reducing our carbon footprint and raising awareness about environmental issues, including plastic waste on land and in water,” said JoAnn Neale, MLS’ President and Chief Administrative Officer. “We are thrilled to have an innovative partner like adidas that enables our clubs to sport kits that inspire the soccer community to join together to preserve our ocean and create a cleaner world.”
MLS also teamed up with We Are Social New York, a global socially-led creative agency, to develop content that sheds light on the effects of plastic waste in our oceans. Photographer Eric White brought a crew together to participate in a cleanup at Great Kills beach in Staten Island while showcasing the Primeblue jerseys. The event highlighted how even a small group can take big steps towards creating a more sustainable future. Visit MLSsoccer.com to view the content.
In addition to Primeblue jerseys being worn on field by clubs throughout the weekend’s matches, many MLS clubs have made efforts in their local communities to create sustainable projects and educate people on the harmful impact of marine plastic pollution. From beach clean ups to plastic waste campaigns, the activations build off MLS WORKS’ Greener Goals initiative which raises awareness about environmental issues in the soccer community. MLS WORKS is the League’s social responsibility platform.
A sampling of club activations include:
- Inter Miami FC – Inter Miami CF went underwater to launch their Primeblue adidas jersey. Building on the club's 2021 campaign, the club returned to the Cayman Islands to team up again with internationally acclaimed underwater photographer Jason Washington, and Cayman Islands-born freediving model and competitive swimmer Coral Tomascik, to highlight the beauty of a healthy ocean. Inter Miami CF centerback Damion Lowe along with representatives from each of the club’s supporters’ groups and front office staff participated in a beach cleanup with Off the Hook Florida, a South Florida organization dedicated to spreading awareness and taking action to prevent ocean plastic pollution. The club also implemented a recycling program at DRV PNK Stadium this year with Heineken USA in collaboration with Cycle, a recycling technology and data company founded by University of Miami alumni.
- Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) – LAFC’s home at Banc of California Stadium is situated in the heart of Los Angeles, less than 20 miles from some of California’s most iconic beaches. LAFC is teaming up with Heal the Bay and the World Surf League to host a beach cleanup event at Venice Beach, raising awareness of the importance of preserving the coastline and protecting our oceans by taking action to intercept waste before it reaches the ocean.
- Orlando City SC – The Club announced Exploria Stadium’s “Zero Waste Initiative” nearly a year ago and are making strides in advancing and expanding that promise. The club is in the midst of its first ever Sustainability Week, May 22-28, where they are educating fans on their solar power, compost efforts and more. The week culminates with the club sporting Primeblue jerseys on field.
- Seattle Sounders FC – Seattle Sounders FC is proud to be the first carbon neutral professional soccer club in North America and the first carbon neutral pro sports team in the United States. The club partnered with the Seattle Mayors office and OL Reign to host two day of service projects on May 21 to help c lear trash and clean neighborhoods. The efforts ensured waste was diverted from waterways, and supported BIPOC neighborhoods and small businesses. The club will host a Protect the Planet themed match on May 29 which includes a pop up exhibit from Wing Luke Museum focused on how redlining effects environmental justice.
Earlier this year, select MLS clubs and adidas teamed up on a sustainability initiative to help keep plastic waste out of landfills. As part of the program, nine games were hosted where fans were given a reusable tote and a separate mailer to take home and fill with donations to send to the adidas Give Back program. The Give Back program accepts gently used clothes and shoes from any brand and rewards participants with adiClub points and vouchers to use on adidas.com. In addition to these 9 games, the Colorado Rapids hosted a Sustainability game on April 23 where they collected over 2,000 gently used items from fans. These items were donated to local charities.
Editor's note: All this is great, make no mistake about it. I personally have donated over 10,000 items, with others, have nearly 1,000 books waiting to be given out, another 300 were distributed to those with less a week ago. Last year separate from all of this, over $50,000 worth of goods were re-distributed through our efforts with the #MuchnickFamilyFoundation, @SoccerLongIslandMagazine and @SeanMcCafferyRealtor. The Years of Giving Continue. We have partnered with Citibank and other lenders, Queensboro FC, American Challenge, New York Red Bulls and some of their players and families, NYCFC, Relevant Sports, St. John's University, Stony Brook University and others in these efforts.
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