United raise awareness of ocean plastic threat

United players Juan Mata, Ander Herrera and Scott McTominay took time out of their summer tour to the USA to attend an event aimed at educating more people about the significant threat posed by ocean waste and encourage greater action amongst the international community. 

The event took place on a boat docked at Santa Monica harbour in Los Angeles. It featured talks by COO of Parley Mike Long and Big Wave Surfer Greg Long that focused on the threat posed to our oceans by plastic waste.

Mata, Herrera and McTominay were joined in the audience by members of the adidas Tango Squad – the innovative global football community. The event also saw the United stars take to the water to try their hands at paddle-boarding, guided by Greg Long. 

Mata said: “When adidas first introduced the Manchester United jersey made from recycled plastic from the ocean I was unaware of the scale of the issue. Fans worldwide should know that this jersey is one step in the right direction, but we still have loads to do.”

Herrera said: “By taking time to understand the problem, we hope that we can use our influence to help educate the world to the scale of the issue and although we can all do more and we must, this initiative is a step in the right direction.”

McTominay said: “It’s great to be part of the Parley relationship and for our kit to use recycled plastic; however, I also believe that we all need to do more. I’ve been shocked into doing more personally and everyone should also look at steps they can take to help this situation.”

Cyrill Gutsch, Founder of Parley for the Oceans, said: "Winning Manchester United as Parley supporters is like adding eighteen thousands times the size of the British Royal Navy to our movement.

“Because the challenge, the battle really, of driving plastic out of our society is happening in our minds. This football team has the energy, the creativity and the reach to bring our vision a big step closer to reality. A new economy with a new culture of creating materials and products, where the pollution of our oceans and of our bodies with plastic will not exist."

As a founding member, adidas supports Parley for the Oceans in its education and communication programmes, as well as its comprehensive Ocean Plastic Program that intends to end plastic pollution of the oceans though the three pillars of the Parley A.I.R. Strategy: Avoid, Intercept and Redesign.

Additionally, adidas and Parley collaborate to turn ocean waste into high-performance apparel by converting up-cycled marine plastic debris into technical yarn fibres. That technology has been used to create the new Real Madrid third kit.

For further information please visit adidas or follow @adidasfootball on Instagram or Twitter to join the conversation.

Greg Long footage courtesy of High Snobiety.