Timberland launches recyclable boot
The Timberland Company has unveiled its Earthkeepers 2.0 boot, the first piece of footwear the company has designed to be disassembled and recycled, rather than discarded, at the end of its product life. After wearing the boots, consumers can simply return them to any Timberland store for recycling.
The Earthkeepers 2.0 boot was designed with eco-conscious features like Green Rubber soles in response to consumers’ growing demand for eco-friendly footwear.
“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,” explains 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.”
According to the company, 80% of the boot can be recycled or re-used, including: leather, which is refurbished at the company’s factory in the Dominican Republic; the Green Rubber soles, which will go back to a Green Rubber factory in Georgia for recycling; removable metal hardware which can be reused in new footwear or recycled; and the polyester lining, which can be recycled into new polyester products.
