Adidas scores 79.2 out of 100 points in this ranking (up from 47.5 in 2017), and is the best performing company and leading the way towards cotton sustainability.
Adidas acknowledges the sustainability challenges with conventional cotton cultivation and was committed to using 100% sustainable cotton by the end of 2018. The company is one of the founding members of the Better Cotton Initiative – through which it addresses the elimination of Highly Hazardous Pesticides, reduction of water use, biodiversity restoration, and labour rights violations. The company is committed to not sourcing cotton from Uzbekistan and has participated in a project with the FLA in Turkey in order to address human rights issues in the Turkish cotton sector. The company has various initiatives in place to contribute to the recycling of cotton-made products and use of recycled cotton.
In 2018, Adidas sourced 99% of its cotton from Better Cotton and 1% as organic cotton.
Adidas has fully disclosed its finished product manufacturers and some of their fabric - but not yarn - manufacturers. The company does not publish information on the absolute volume and origin of the cotton used in its products.
