Timberland 2018 CSR Report Shows Steady Progress Toward 2020 Sustainability Goals

STRATHAM, N.H., April 26, 2019 /3BL Media/ - On the heels of Earth Day, global outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland today releases its 2018 corporate social responsibility (CSR) report, showing steady progress toward its 2020 sustainability goals in support of three key pillars: better product, a greener world and stronger communities.

The brand also announced it reached one of its key sustainability goals two years early – to plant 10 million trees by 2020. Timberland has a longstanding commitment to tree planting, with more than 10.2 million trees planted worldwide since 2001, and is now working to set aggressive new targets for its next reporting cycle.  

“At the heart of the Timberland® brand is the core belief that business can and should be a force for positive change, and that a greener future is a better future,” said Jim Pisani, global brand president, Timberland. “We’re very pleased with the progress we made in 2018, and hitting our tree planting goal two years early. But that doesn’t mean we’ll rest on our laurels. In fact, it only energizes us to think about how we can make an even bigger positive impact in the future. And we see trees playing a crucial role.”

Highlights of Timberland’s progress and opportunities in 2018 include: 

Better Product

• Timberland set a goal for 100 percent of the cotton used in its apparel to be certified organic, recycled or fair trade; of U.S.-origin; or sourced as Better Cotton through BCI. In 2018, the brand achieved 75 percent, a slight decrease from 2017 (81 percent) due to the addition of a new sock licensee, which is phasing into Timberland’s requirements.  For its own direct-sourced apparel, which accounts for more than 89 percent of all Timberland cotton sourced during the year, the brand climbed to 99 percent, nearly reaching its 2020 goal.

• Timberland continued its work with the Smallholder Farmers Alliance (SFA) in Haiti to bring cotton back as an export crop for the country. The SFA planted its first commercial crop in 30 years in August 2018, and Timberland has committed to purchase up to one-third of its global cotton supply from the SFA, once sufficient volume and price and quality requirements are achieved.

• Sixty-nine percent of all Timberland® footwear shipped in 2018 contained major components (e.g., uppers, linings, outsoles) with at least 10 percent recycled, organic or renewable (ROR) content, up slightly from 67 percent last year. The company is working hard to reach its goal of 100 percent by 2020, by requiring all new footwear styles to incorporate ROR materials and re-visiting key carryover collections. 

• In 2018, Timberland incorporated over 717,519 pounds of recycled PET – the brand’s largest source of ROR materials – into its footwear. To date, Timberland has given the equivalent of over 345 million plastic bottles new life in its shoes.

• Timberland sourced 99 percent of its footwear leather, and 96 percent of its leather overall (including apparel and accessories) from tanneries that are rated gold or silver by the Leather Working Group, for environmental best practices. The brand’s goal is to achieve 100 percent by 2020.  

• The brand reported relatively flat data versus 2017 for the use of VOCs in its footwear production (53 grams/pair in 2018 vs. 51 grams/pair in 2017), against a 2020 goal of 42 grams/pair. Timberland also held steady in its efforts to fully eliminate PVC from its products, coming in at 97 percent PVC-free for 2018, with a 2020 goal of 100 percent.

Greener World

• Timberland planted a total of 285,887 trees in 2018, for a total of 10,275,707 to date and achieving its 2020 goal of 10 million trees two years ahead of schedule. Timberland is now working to set aggressive new tree planting targets for its next reporting cycle. 

• In addition to its own tree planting efforts, Timberland continues to partner with the SFA to bring cotton farming back to Haiti after a 30-year hiatus, while at the same time planting millions more trees through the innovative agroforestry model they developed together.

• In 2018, Timberland continued its urban greening commitment around the world. In the US, the brand teamed up with the Student Conversation Association to create or restore 73,000 square feet of green space in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. In Europe, Timberland supported 14 projects to create, maintain or restore urban green spaces, focused on increasing access for youth, through its My Play Green program. And in China, the brand planted more than 53,000 trees in the Horqin Desert, as part of an 18-year commitment to help fight the effects of deforestation and desertification in this region.  

Stronger Communities

• In 2018, Timberland employees worldwide served 56,211 community service hours, a slight increase over 2017. Fifty-two percent of Timberland employees served in the community at least once, up significantly from 42 percent in 2017. The company remains committed to create more opportunities and projects to engage employees at all of its locations to reach its goal of 80 percent engagement (at least one hour served per employee) by 2020.

• Timberland’s manufacturing facility in the Dominican Republic once again led the way with 15,411 hours.

About Timberland 

Timberland is a global leader in the design, manufacturing and marketing of premium footwear, apparel and accessories for the outdoor lifestyle. Best known for its original yellow boot introduced in 1973, Timberland today outfits consumers from toe-to-head, with versatile collections that reflect the brand’s rich heritage of craftsmanship, function and style. Timberland markets lifestyle products under the Timberland® and Timberland Boot Company® brands, and industrial footwear and workwear under the Timberland PRO® brand. Its products are sold throughout the world in leading department and specialty stores as well as company-owned retail locations and online. Timberland’s dedication to making quality products is matched by an unwavering commitment to environmental and social responsibility – to make things better for its products, the outdoors, and communities around the globe. To learn more about Timberland, a VF Corporation brand, please visit timberland.com @timberland.

For more information, please contact:

Leslie Grundy Director, Global PR and Communications