Timberland Introduces its First Recyclable Footwear
In a conscious effort to reduce both material use and waste, The Timberland Company unveils its Earthkeepers 2.0 boot -- the first footwear the company has designed to be disassembled and recycled, rather than discarded, at the end of its product life. After wearing them on life's many adventures, consumers who buy the Earthkeepers 2.0 boots simply return them to any Timberland store for recycling.
"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 for Timberland. "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."
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.
"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 for Timberland. "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."
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.