Timberland announces a critical next step on its path to circularity with the upcoming launch of a global product take-back program. Developed in partnership with global innovation company ReCircled, the take-back program provides the robust infrastructure needed to fuel Timberland’s circular design and development cycle. It also supports the brand’s bold vision, announced last fall, 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 U.S., 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 U.S. launch, the program is slated to expand to EMEA later this fall, and to the APAC region in spring 2022.
“This take-back program 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.”
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.
