Circular Logic

TIMBERLAND LAUNCHED A circularity platform and expanded its regenerative sourcing initiatives in 2022, as it works toward its stated goal of having a net positive impact on nature by 2030. The company’s plan to achieve this lofty goal calls for 100 percent of its products to be designed for circularity and 100 percent of its natural materials to be sourced from regenerative agriculture by the start of the next decade.

Eco-friendly product highlights introduced last year include the Timberloop Trekker. Specifically engineered for circularity, the boot was launched in connection with the new Timberloop take-back program. Consumers are invited to return used products so that they may be refurbished or recycled and kept out of landfills. Timberland accepts used products at its retail stores or picks up the shipping tab, and gives 20 percent off the purchase of a future item in return.

The company also moved further along its regenerative sourcing path by adding cotton and rubber to the materials that it gets from regenerative farms and ranches. Tracy Smith, vice president and general manager of Timberland Americas, discusses these initiatives, as well as other highlights and challenges for the year. —B.S.

How was business in 2022? Timberland is seeing strong momentum with revenue growth back to pre-pandemic levels, which we’re very proud of. Every retailer was impacted by the supply chain effects related to the pandemic, but as we worked to rebuild inventories and consumers returned to market, we’re pleased with the growth we’ve seen as we launched new programs and campaigns.

What were some key sustainability highlights of the year? We’re especially excited about the progress we’ve made in terms of circular design and infrastructure as well as sourcing materials from regenerative farms. In terms of sourcing regeneratively, we’ve expanded outside leather to now include rubber and cotton. At the beginning of 2022, we launched a circularity platform, designed to keep our products out of landfills at the end of their useful life. We’ve seen tremendous consumer response and have plans to expand it to our Asia and the Pacific markets.

What was the biggest surprise of the year? Not seeing more brands enter into the circularity space! While we’ve seen a few brands launch their own recycling programs, our hope is that more brands introduce circularity not only through recycling programs but also by manufacturing products to be easily recycled rather than letting them go to landfills.