Every day is Earth Day: How we make sustainable fashion

 

Timberland footprint in the sand

 

At Timberland every day is Earth Day, with ethical, sustainable production at the heart of everything we do.

 

Every raw material that brings our timeless designs to life is as important to us as the look and feel of the finished article. This means customers all over the world can shop confidently for sustainable fashion and recycled shoes that not only look good and feel fabulous to wear but have been created with a conscience and lots of passion.

 

We like to think of ourselves as Earthkeepers and our ethical efforts are always based on the simple principle: ‘How can we make things better?” This applies every day, not just on Earth Day.

 

It’s in the materials: cutting waste & using recyclables

 

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“At Timberland, our philosophy to be Earthkeepers drives everything we do.”

Colleen Vien, Timberland Director of Sustainability.

 

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Making things better for us means insisting that every meticulously finished Timberland polo shirt, t-shirt or pair of shorts you buy will be crafted from only the very best quality organic cotton from certified sources.

 

Every single pair of Timberland shoes, from our Earthkeepers range, include at least one recycled, organic or renewable material and are made from leather that’s come from a silver or gold rated tannery. The Leather Working Group judges and classifies tanneries based on energy use, waste production and water treatment.

 

Plastic pollution is a major concern worldwide and we do our bit by making sure that all or footwear and apparel is 100% PVC-Free.

 

Wider commitments to change

 

We don’t just focus on what our fashion is made from either. We’ve set ourselves strict rules as to how and where everything is made and manufactured. This includes making sure that factory supply partners we work with share our sustainability values.

 

Timberland responsibility doesn’t stop at the production line. Between 2001 and 2017, we supported sustainable forestry by planting over 9.6 million trees and aim to reach 10 million by 2020.

 

Urban greening is another important focus for us. We made a public commitment last year to double our footprint in five of our major markets in the U.S. by looking at what our retail square footage was there. Once we established that, we set about finding opportunities to equal or increase that in terms of giving abandoned property some new green life.

 

We’re also continuously working hard to give something back to global communities.  In 2015, we completed our one-millionth hour of community service (our employees get paid by us to take part) and have set ourselves the target of adding another 500,000 hours by 2020. On top of this, we support special community service projects all over the world. Currently, that involves working on 5,000 different projects, with the number looking to shoot up to 6,000 by the end of the decade.

 

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“Our employees understand that they all have a part in sustainability, which means the entire company is thinking about it.”

Colleen Vien, Timberland Director of Sustainability.

 

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From the forest to the production line, sustainable fashion is the future and we aspire to create clothing, shoes and accessories that do not cost the Earth. Setting strict rules and targets are the best way for any brand to achieve this, and we are proud of our progress so far.