Timberland announces sustainability goals

Reporting on the USA-based company’s environmental aims for the decade to come.

Outdoor wear producer Timberland has revealed two new product-related objectives that it intends to reach by 2030. According to a company spokesperson, the end result will be for Timberland products ‘to have a net positive impact on nature’ by giving back more than is taken out.

The first goal involves 100 per cent of its products being designed for circularity, thus assisting in the company’s plan of achieving zero waste and working toward zero impact. In line with this ambition, all Timberland accessories, apparel and footwear is to be produced with waste materials such as plastic bottles, scrap leather and scrap wool. In addition, the company’s products are to be designed for end-of-life recyclability, so that they can be disassembled and made into something new.

The second aim is to have all of its natural materials sourced from ‘regenerative’ agriculture, which Timberland believes will result in a net positive impact on nature. Regenerative practices mimic nature, allowing animals to roam and graze in their natural patterns and giving the land an opportunity to rest. These methods are also said to ensure a variety of crops is grown, pulling carbon out of the atmosphere and storing it in the ground, thus leading to fertile soil.

A new look at leather making

Timberland is reportedly working to build a robust regenerative leather supply chain in Australia, Brazil and the USA. The company is launching its first collection of boots made using ‘regenerative leather’, and has plans to significantly scale up this provision. Projects are also in place to pilot new regenerative rubber, cotton, wool and sugarcane supply chains. 

“The environment today is in a degraded state. As a footwear and apparel brand, we are part of the problem,” said Colleen Vien, Timberland’s director of sustainability. “For decades, Timberland has worked to minimise our impact, but it’s time to do better than that. By following nature’s lead, and focusing on circular design and regenerative agriculture, we aim to go beyond sustainability and help nature thrive. We hope to inspire the industry as a whole to work together and change the trajectory of our collective future.”

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 6 of the October 2020 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

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