LOS ANGELES, Jul 5, 2009 / FW/ — Timberland is taking sustainability serious as it launches Earthkeepers 2.0 boots, the label’s first recyclable footwear which is designed for disassembly and recycling for people who want to tread more lightly on the planet.
Unveiled last Jun 25th, the Earthkeepers 2.0 boots when it reaches the end of its product life, consumers can simply return them to any Timberland store for recycling instead of discarding them.
“We can be deliberate about designing the ‘greenest’ footwear out there — but if at the end of the day those products still end up in a landfill, we haven’t really closed the loop on our environmental responsibility,” explains Brian Moore, VP Men’s Product.
“With Earthkeepers 2.0, we have an opportunity to influence the environmental impact of our products in a way we haven’t before – after the point of purchase.”
Timberland has a long history of environmental stewardship both in its business operations as well as in the design and manufacture of its products. The Earthkeepers 2.0 boot was designed with eco-conscious features like Green Rubber soles in response to consumers’ growing demand for beautiful and eco-friendly footwear.
Along with this attention to how the product is developed at the outset, the company is undertaking a cutting-edge “second life” program to pilot reusing components from the returned boot to make a new pair of shoes.
Eighty percent of the Earthkeepers 2.0 boot can be recycled or re-used, including:
Leather that is refurbished at the company’s factory in the Dominican Republic.
Green Rubber™ soles that will go back to a Green Rubber™ factory in Georgia for recycling. Green Rubber’s patented D-Link technology effectively breaks down tire-rubber so that it can be recycled repeatedly back into new products, including Timberland outsoles.
Removable metal hardware that can be reused in new footwear or recycled.
Polyester lining that can be recycled into new polyester products.
The Earthkeepers 2.0 boot, part of a broader Earthkeepers collection, will be available to consumers in Fall 2009.
Launched in 2007 with two core styles, Timberland’s Earthkeepers™ Collection today includes more than 40 skus of eco-conscious footwear that deliver premium, contemporary styling while using materials like recycled PET linings, organic cotton and leathers from tanneries achieving Leather Working Group silver rated status for industry leading water, waste and energy management.
