Timberland has announced it is launching a global product take-back programme, developed in partnership with global innovation company ReCircled.
The take-back programme will provide the robust infrastructure needed to fuel Timberland’s circular design and development cycle, the retailer said. It also supports the brand’s vision for its products to have a net positive impact on nature by 2030, through a commitment to regenerative agriculture and circular design.
Beginning this August in the US, consumers will be able to return any Timberland footwear, apparel or accessories to a Timberland store, to either be repaired/refurbished for sale on a dedicated re-commerce platform, or upcycled/recycled into future products. The brand will introduce a digital, ship-from-home option later in the summer, making it even easier for consumers to participate. Following the US launch, the program is slated to expand to EMEA later this fall, and to the APAC region in spring 2022.
“This take-back programme is a critical step in pursuing our 100% circularity goal, while at the same time addressing the ever-increasing consumer demand for responsible design and progressive retail options,” says Susie Mulder, Global Brand President for Timberland. “Timberland always builds our products for longevity. Now those products will have a second life, whether they are refurbished for re-sale, or disassembled and recycled into something new. Either way, the consumer and product journey goes on, and we continue to move the world forward, together.”
Timberland also reveals a “sneak peek” at its latest eco-innovation, the Timberloop Trekker — a new city hiker for spring 2022 that the retailer says is specifically designed for circularity. With sneaker-like comfort and a progressive outdoor look, the Timberloop Trekker has a unique sole construction whereby the outsoles can easily be removed at the ReCircled facility and each part put into its own unique recycling stream.
“We are incredibly excited to bring the Timberloop Trekkers to market next spring,” says Chris McGrath, vice president of global footwear design for Timberland. “Timberland has been using recycled materials in our footwear for years, but this design innovation puts us on the path to true circularity, where nothing goes to waste. And with ReCircled, we now have the mechanism in place to close the loop.”
In Timberland’s journey to have a net positive impact on nature by 2030, circularity will help the brand achieve zero waste/impact. Timberland aims to tip the scales past zero to net positive – actually helping to restore nature – by sourcing 100% of its natural materials through regenerative agriculture.
Today’s announcement comes on the heels of a number of eco-innovations unveiled earlier this spring in support of a greener future, including:
- Regenerative Leather: two new styles featuring Regenerative Leather, including the women’s Atlanta Green EK+ Oxford and the men’s TrueCloud EK+ Sneakers. Regenerative agriculture practices give land a rest so it can absorb carbon, retain water and restore biodiversity to the pastures where cattle graze.
- Community Cotton fiber: brand new for S’21, this cotton is grown by smallholder farmers using an agroforestry tree planting model that helps provide lasting benefits to the environment and communities where it grows, in places like Haiti. Styles include the women’s Atlanta Green EK+ Oxford (cotton) and the men’s TrueCloud EK+ Sneakers (cotton).
- GreenStride comfort soles: new styles featuring GreenStride comfort soles include the Solar Wave and Bradstreet Ultra collections. Made with 75 per cent renewable materials, including sugar cane and responsibly sourced natural rubber from trees, these naturally comfortable soles cushion, cradle and provide greater rebound with every step.
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