Timberland has historically been a leader in sustainability within the footwear industry. Today, the outdoor standout revealed two new product-related goals that it intends to hit by 2030.
The end result of its goals, Timberland explained, is for its products “to have a net positive impact on nature,” which means they give back more than they take.
The two goals Timberland announced include having 100% of its products to be designed for circularity (which will assists in the company’s plan of achieving zero waste and working toward zero impact) and having 100% of its natural materials sourced from regenerative agriculture (which it believes will lead it to a net positive impact on nature).
Specific to product circularity, Timberland said all of its footwear, apparel and accessories will be made with waste materials such as plastic bottles, scrap leather and scrap wool. Also, its products will be designed to be recyclable at the end of their life span so they can be made into something new.
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As for its regenerative agriculture goals — which is achieved through practices that mimic nature — Timberland said it is working to build a regenerative leather supply chain in the U.S., Australia, and Brazil. Also, the company stated it is working with regenerative farmers to pilot new regenerative rubber, cotton, wool and sugarcane supply chains.
The brand has made strides in regenerative agriculture recently, including entering a partnership with the Savory Institute in May “to fund research into the tangible benefits of regenerative agricultural practices.” Also, Timberland said it will deliver its first collection of boots using regenerative leather in the fall that was sourced from Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed regenerative ranches.
“The environment today is in a degraded state. As a footwear and apparel brand, we are part of the problem,” Timberland director of sustainability Colleen Vien said in a statement. “For decades, Timberland has worked to minimize our impact, but it’s time to do better than that. Imagine a boot that puts more carbon back into the land than was emitted during production. By following nature’s lead, and focusing on circular design and regenerative agriculture, we aim to tip the scales to have a net positive impact — to go beyond sustainability and help nature thrive. We are incredibly excited about this journey and hope to inspire the industry as a whole to work together and change the trajectory of our collective future.”
