Big global brands like Adidas, Stella McCartney & GStar are truly positioning themselves as the environmental innovators with the use of recycled plastics in some of their products.While it's hard not to wonder about the conversations in central marketing, as more and more big brand companies like them seem to be commoditising sustainability and recycling. Using it to morally justify consumerism by using the fancy, sustainable and often high priced, products as bait for the not so sustainable ones that really do flood the world. STILL, BIG BRANDS ATTRACT BIG ATTENTION AND THAT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TOO. IN THIS CASE, I AM GUESSING THAT PARLEY'S OWN CENTRAL MARKETING TEAM CONSCIOUSLY TARGETED ADIDAS IN THE FIRST PLACE. AND THEN STELLA MCCARTNEY. Parley, a collaboration platform started by Cyrill Gutsch in 2012, were the glue who brought together the RAW for the Oceans alliance a few years ago with Bionic Yarn, Pharrell Williams and Sea Shepherd. (At AREDay in 2018, Paul Watson from Sea Shepherd reported that he had given the group one ghost net that was 78 km in length!)Cyrill Gutsch is an interesting man and his foresight is something to behold. Sometimes you just have to start something and see who follows. Or what follows. With incredible contacts among (to quote) artists, musicians, actors, filmmakers, fashion designers, journalists, architects, product inventors, and scientists, Parley says together they have the tools to mold the reality we live in and to develop alternative business models and ecologically sensible products.The thing is that if anyone could make that happen it's him. It's one thing to be right, but another to have the vision, contacts and leadership to pull it off. And Cyrill Gutsch seems to have that capacity in ship loads. We first came across Parley's work when researching Econyl® one of the materials used by Shapes in the Sand. Econyl is the end product of a process where, in essence, Parley Plastics works with Sea Shepherd's Vortex Project to collect ocean plastic. This plastic is then broken down into chips and spun it into yarn by Econyl and sold to manufacturers.Some of the yarns might be becoming big brand marketing campaigns, but that price is perhaps small as the message gets out about both the state of the oceans and alternative products.The important thing is that suddenly we are all paying attention. It might be hard to wrap your head around how consumer focused brands are on one hand pushing out fast fashion products and on the other, creating and promoting some of the world's most sustainable activity, advocacy and tech, at least the message is getting out. And smaller, local brands are using the product to create good quality, alternative products. And that means more good for everyone.Here at ekko.world, we are interested in championing eco for everyone. And like it or not, mainstream listens to mainstream. If Adidas makes a swimwear range and pair of runners from recycled plastic and people buy it, then more people are educated about ocean plastics and potentially converted to doing what they can about it. And that is important.What's your view? Pic: Adidas Parley