The Timberland Company (NYSE: TBL) today announced a first for environmental disclosure – it will include a “nutrition label” on all footwear packaging.
The label will provide information to help guide people in the purchase process: where the product was manufactured, how it was produced, and its effect on the environment. It will appear in stores in 2006.
In addition, all footwear boxes will be made of 100 percent recycled post-consumer waste fiber. Messaging inside the box will ask customers “what kind of footprint will you leave” and provides a call to action for them after purchase.
Said Jeffrey Swartz, Timberland’s President and Chief Executive Officer, “Our goal is to reduce our impact on the environment while engaging consumers to take action. This packaging and labeling initiative should make our industry more transparent and give consumers the information they need to make smart buying decisions.”
The “nutritional label” has three sections:
The “Manufactured” section gives the name and location of the factory where the product was made. The “Environmental Impact” section reports how much energy is needed to produce Timberland footwear and how much of Timberland’s energy is generated from renewable resources such as the sun, wind or water. The “Community Impact” section details what percentage of factories are assessed by the company against Code of Conduct standards, the percentage of the workforce that are children and the total number of hours volunteered in the community by Timberland employees.
In addition to increasing transparency with this initiative, Timberland is encouraging consumers to take action within their community. Examples of this call to action include:
Each Outdoor Performance shoe comes in a reusable “take-in, take-out” bio-degradable waste bag to be used on the trail. Children’s footwear includes tissue wrap that educates them about birds and animals in the woods.
Consumers can reuse and fill footwear boxes with donations, such as canned goods, first aid items or clothing, and send them to non-profit organizations as items are needed. Links on timberland.com will help consumers find local or national groups and then print shipping labels.
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