Volcom’s V.Co-logical Series: A 1% for the Planet Partner

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) July 7, 2011 - It was 2005-2006 and the team at Volcom was pushing for a small part of their line to be a little something different. Back then, they weren’t referring to it as New Future (a nod to the combination of their Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility efforts combined), and they definitely weren’t using the word “Sustainability,” says Derek Sabori, head of the Sustainability program there, but they were sure that efforts in lowering the company’s environmental footprint in regards to their product line was something that they just had a responsibility to do.   At the time, the line was called Volcom Verde and it was a collection of organic cotton tees, wallets and totes as well as hemp hats and reusable water containers that were branded a bit differently than conventional Volcom items. Identified by a green leaf/half stone, you knew by looking at it that something new was going on. If you’re a die-hard, you might still be cherishing one or more of these items.   As it ends up, the Verde line was short lived, and in it’s place was a re-launching of the campaign and commitment named the V.Co-logical Series, with the first marketing message being “Push More, Drive Less.” Out of this renewed energy came a true commitment to this segment of the company’s many product lines as well as a partnership with 1% for the Planet – a growing global movement of more than 1400 companies that donate 1% for their sales to a network of environmental organizations worldwide.   Since 2006, 1% of all the sales from Volcom’s V.Co-logical Series have gone directly to organizations that have been selected as partners in their commitment to building a New Future. Each year the list of recipients has grown, and for the most part, they’ve seen significant growth in their contribution pool each year.   Volcom’s very first 1% check went out to Save the Waves Coalition, and since then, the list has grown to a selection of multiple organizations that are truly doing the heavy lifting in regards to the efforts that it will take to build a sustainable future for us all.   For their 2010 V.Co-logical Series contribution Volcom chose to support the following organizations:   Volcom US:   *   Alaska Wilderness League, Washington DC *   Save the Waves Coalition, California *   North Shore Community Land Trust, Hawaii *   The Ecology Center, California *   Surfrider Foundation, California *   Protect Our Winters, California *   Newport Bay Conservancy, California *   Stratford Ecological Center, Ohio   Volcom Europe: Surfrider Foundation   Volcom Brazil: AMAN - Association for Protection of the Northeast Atlantic   Volcom Australia Surf Break Protection Society   Volcom Indonesia: Sumatran Orangutan Society   While Volcom’s V.Co-logical Series line is stronger, and more diverse than ever it’s the overall philosophy behind it that is making the most impact.   “You see,” says Derek, “What we’ve learned in developing this line, and choosing fabrics and processes for it, we’re beginning to take to the rest of our line: a 10% organic blend in our S/S Basic T-Shirt line, replacing the PU coating in our polyester backpacks with a less toxic TPE (thermoplastic elastomer), and so on and so forth.   We’re proud of what our V.Co-logical Series has become and we’re looking forward to our commitment to the 1% for the Planet program growing.”   So if you like the idea of what’s going on here, be sure to keep an eye out for the V.Co-logical Series logo and remember that with the purchase of, and/or the request of, each item you’re supporting a give back program dedicated to sustainability education, outreach and advocacy by way of the organizations listed above, and chances are, many more to come.   To get a full idea of what the 1% for the Planet partnership is all about check out [one percent] of the story here and be sure to follow the New Future Blog for more on Volcom’s Sustainability & CSR Programs.     About Volcom’s V.Co-logical Series Volcom’s V.Co-Logical Series represents Volcom’s environmentally conscious movement towards sustainability and 1% of every dollar you spend in this category goes to select environmental protection organizations by way of our 1% for the Planet Membership.   About 1% for the Planet 1% for the Planet is a growing global movement of more than1400 companies that donate 1% for their sales to a network of more than 2,500 environmental organizations worldwide. Learn more at www.onepercentfortheplanet.org.

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