The Timberland Co. said it launched its first footwear line designed to
be disassembled and recycled, rather than discarded, at the end of its
life. The Earthkeepers 2.0 boot collection is made of 80% recyclable or
reusable materials that represent a 15% reduction in greenhouse gas
emissions and a 15% increase in the use of recycled or renewable
content, compared to the traditional Earthkeepers boot.
The Earthkeepers 2.0 boot also features “Green Rubber” soles, a new
patented green technology from Green Rubber Inc., which devulcanizes
waste tire rubber to create a high-quality recycled rubber compound
that can be reused as a new raw material for items such as outsoles. In
March, Timber announced its new exclusive partnership with Malaysia's
Green Rubber to use the technology in its Earthkeepers shoe
line.Timberland said it will be the first footwear company to
commercialize this process and plans to incorporate it into its fall
2009 collections. At end of life, the boots can be returned to any
Timberland store for recycling.
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 be recycled at the
factory, removable metal hardware that can be reused in new footwear or
recycled, and polyester lining that can be recycled into new polyester
products. Timberland's tanneries have achieved LWG silver-rated status
for industry-leading water, waste and energy management.
“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,” said 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.”
