Tomra helps recyclers trade plastic bottles for Adidas’s sustainable sneakers

Tomra in collaboration with Adidas and Mojo Supermarket recently rewarded recyclers for doing good. The trio teamed up to enable shoppers to recycle plastic bottles and earn a discount on some fashionable, and sustainable, sneakers.

During April, shoppers at the Adidas store in Manhattan on 5th Ave. could recycle their empty plastic bottles and earn a discount on a pair of new Stan Smith sneakers made from recycled materials.

To participate, recyclers returned their deposit-eligible plastic bottles at the in-store, Stan Smith-branded Tomra reverse vending machine. After returning their bottles, the machine issued a voucher for a discount. 

The iconic Stan Smith sneaker was recently redesigned as part of Adidas's commitment to use only recycled polyester by 2024.  

Tomra, which provided its T70 reverse vending technology for collecting plastic bottles on site, reports some 80,000 or its reverse vending machines installed in more than 60 markets capturing over 40 billion used beverage containers annually.

“Adidas’[s] innovative Stan Smith redesign, paired with Toma’s best-in-class recycling technology, is a winning combination for both shoppers and the planet,” said Nir Samuel, general manager of Tomra’s metro New York business.