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Earthkeepers – Just like with the actual Timberland brand name, the Earthkeeper boots and shoes are more than just a name of a boot. The actual Earthkeeper name represents so much more than a boot: it represents the consciousness of the Timberland brand for the environment. The Earthkeeper Movement, as developed by Timberland is one in which customers are encouraged to buy eco-friendly products in order to encourage companies to continue producing eco-friendly products and thus improving the environment.
Whilst they are focused on improving the environment, they are aware that they are part of the problem in the products they continue to produce, with the actual production of shoes being the biggest part of their environmental footprint and not the transport. Hence, they have started to introduce various specifications into several boots, including the Earthkeeper range:
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Recycled PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) – a material which is most commonly used as a bottle lining. And, with a staggering 2.5 million of these bottles being used every hour in America alone, there is a lot of this material available. Thus, whilst Timberland are evidently trying to reduce this mass production and use of plastic bottles, they are recycling the material where possible. Timberland use Recycled PET as a major component in one or more of its components; such as the lining, upper, midsole and so on, with one and a half bottles in each pair of boots.
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Green Rubber™ Outsole – a feature for the Earthkeepers that has been the first of its kind used specifically by Timberland to incorporate their eco-friendly criteria. This sole is made up of 42% of recycled rubber; which is detachable (once the wearer has had enough wear out of the boot) and if returned to a Green Rubber factory, can again be recycled for another sole. To put the “greenness” of this component into perspective; there are around 7 billion tyres in the world that are used and unwanted.
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Leather from Silver Rated Tanneries – as the production of the product is one of the biggest contributors to adding to their environmental footprint; one can understand it is hard to find ways to reduce the production of shoes, when they are prided on high-quality, durability and shoes that are built to last. Therefore, in order to reduce the environmental impact of their boots, Timberland have induced a practice in which they have established relationships with tanneries that are both producing high-quality leather and adhere to strict environmentally friendly standards. If your boot or shoe adopts a LWG (Leather Working Group) silver-rated tannery logo, the tannery used for at least 50% of the leather of at least one major component has been appropriately rated as Silver or higher.
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Organic Content (Apparel Ranges) – when a Timberland product adopts the Organic Content logo, at least one of its components has been made from 50% organic material.
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What's more with the newer range of Earthkeepers, Timberland have introduced a feature that allows the boot to be fully dismantled after use and re-used with at least half of the materials used being recyclable.
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