Timberland Announces Robust Environmental Targets Across All Product Categories

STRATHAM, N.H., April 27, 2016 /3BL Media/ – As a global outdoor lifestyle brand, Timberland has always been driven by a commitment to innovate and operate in an accountable and responsible manner – in terms of its products, the outdoors and the communities around the globe where it operates. As part of this commitment, the company today announced the establishment of rigorous environmental standards – Timberland Environmental Product Standards (TEPS) – across all Timberland product categories. The company also unveiled its 2015 CSR results, as well as new five-year performance targets against its core CSR pillars – product, outdoors and community.

“Building on the legacy of our Earthkeepers^® collection, we’re taking our commitment to making products responsibly to new heights,” said Stewart Whitney, president of Timberland. “With TEPS, we are setting environmental targets for all product categories, not just one collection. With this increased focus, we aim to reduce the environmental impact of virtually every product we make -- across footwear, apparel and accessories. Over time, as our business continues to grow, this has the power to make a big difference.”

Setting bold commitments for the future

Beyond product, Timberland has also set aggressive targets against its community and outdoor pillars. Highlights of the brand’s bold goals for 2020, which are outlined in their entirety on the brand’s newly updated Responsibility website, include:

2020 Product Goals:

• One hundred percent of footwear includes at least one material containing recycled, organic or renewable (ROR) content.
• One hundred percent of footwear and outerwear leather is sourced from tanneries that have earned a Gold or Silver rating from the Leather Working Group for following environmental best practices.
• One hundred percent of apparel cotton comes from organic, US-origin or Better Cotton Initiative–certified sources.
• One hundred percent of footwear and apparel is PVC-free.

2020 Outdoors Goals:

• Plant ten million trees (cumulatively, since 2001).
• New commitment to create and restore urban outdoor spaces (initiative to be announced this spring).
• Fifty percent of energy in Timberland-operated facilities comes from renewable sources such as on-site wind and solar power and renewable energy credits.

2020 Community Goals:

• Employees reach 1.5 million cumulative hours served in their communities as part of the company’s Path of Service^TM program.
• Eighty percent of Timberland employees engage in community service via Path of Service^TM program.

“At Timberland, we hold ourselves accountable for what goes into our products as well as how they’re made, and we’re constantly seeking innovative solutions to reduce their environmental impact,” said Colleen Vien, sustainability director for Timberland. “But it doesn’t stop with products. As an outdoor brand, we’ve always been willing to put a stake in the ground and push ourselves to protect and preserve the outdoors. We owe it to ourselves, to our consumers and to our planet.”

2015: A Year Marked by Progress (and a few challenges)

While setting commitments for the next five years, Timberland addressed some challenges and shared the company’s 2015 CSR performance results. The data is a powerful demonstration of the brand’s continued commitment to sustainability against its three key pillars of product, outdoors and community.

2015 Highlights:

• Eighty four percent of Timberland^® footwear included at least one material containing ROR content, up from 72 percent in 2014.
• One million pounds of recycled PET was incorporated into Timberland^® footwear in 2015 alone – the equivalent of 47 million plastic water bottles. Since 2009, Timberland has given the equivalent of 233 million plastic water bottles new life in its footwear.
• Timberland used 834,000 pounds of recycled rubber in its footwear in 2015 – equivalent to the average weight of 10 semi trucks. Since 2009, the brand has produced 25.2 million pairs of footwear made with outsoles containing at least 34 percent recycled rubber.
• More than 73,000 volunteer hours were served through various environmental and social projects – that’s enough time to walk around the world 8.7 times.
• More than 1.4 million trees were planted in 2015 – primarily in the Dominican Republic, China and Haiti.  Since 2001, Timberland has supported the planting of more than 8.7 million trees around the globe.

2015 Challenges:

• Use of organic cotton in apparel declined slightly, from 19 percent in 2014 to 18 percent in 2015, primarily due to cost constraints. Timberland has set new strategies in place to prioritize the use of more responsibly grown cotton in its apparel, with a goal of 100 percent of apparel cotton coming from organic, US-origin or Better Cotton Initiative-certified sources by 2020.
• While the company is working hard to be PVC-free across all footwear and apparel, 2015 results came in relatively flat compared to 2014, at 98 percent. Timberland continues to work on PVC-free material substitution in its industrial Timberland PRO^® line, and to review materials and manufacturing equipment updates to enable further PVC reduction in pursuit of being 100 percent PVC-free by 2020.

Data related to 2015 greenhouse gas emissions and renewable energy usage is being compiled and will be released with Timberland’s Q2 CSR Report.

To share how Timberland is constantly working to be a more responsible business and highlight all of the brand’s CSR and sustainability initiatives, Timberland also re-launched its Responsibility website this week, making it more informational and engaging for consumers and other stakeholders. To learn more visit responsibility.timberland.com.

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 brand of VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC), please visit timberland.com or follow us along the modern trail @timberland.