As I always say, Patagonia is my favorite company—a true model of environmental stewardship. Yet, With all this writing about I’m learning quite a lot about Timberland’s environmental initiatives and I must admit, I like what I hear . . .

For starters, Timberland produces a publicly available report that details all aspects of the companies energy use, human rights standards, environmental stewardship and community involvement.

If looking up Timberlands’s sustainability report is far too tedious, consumers can also read information printed on the company’s recycled-paper shoeboxes and soy-based hangtags. Shoeboxes sport a simple label (matching “Nutrition Facts” found on food packaging) that provides corporate-specific information such as the average number of kilowatt-hours and percentage of renewable energy used by Timberland. Very cool indeed.

In addition to Timberland’s packaging “Nutrition Facts,” Timberland Outdoor Performance Wear products include a “Green Index” hangtag, which measures and reports on the product’s environmental impact. The index addresses three issues of concern:

• Climate impact: measures greenhouse gas emissions produced from raw material extraction through manufacturing.
• Chemicals used: based on the presence of PVC and solvent adhesives.
• Materials used: measures the use of organic, recycled or renewable.

With the “Green Index,” the lower the rating, the lower the environmental impact. Zero (0) indicates the smallest environmental footprint; while ten (10) means there’s work to be done. The rating is determined by an outside authority’s analysis of raw materials used and energy dispelled during production.

Posted on June 1st, 2008 by Olivia Zaleski