American manufacturer and retailer of outdoors wear, Timberland is launching a new product take-back program to help it achieve its goal of having a net positive impact on nature by 2030. The take-back program, developed in collaboration with global innovation company ReCircled, offers the solid foundation required to support Timberland's circular design and development cycle. 

Beginning in August in the United States, customers may return any Timberland-branded footwear, clothes, and accessories to the retailer for resale, repair, or recycling on a dedicated e-commerce platform, or upcycled/recycled into future goods. Later this summer, the company will add a digital, ship-from-home alternative, making it even easier for customers to participate. Following the debut in the United States, the initiative will spread to EMEA later this autumn and the APAC area in spring 2022.

Timberland’s Global Brand President, Susie Mulder, said that this take-back program is a crucial step toward their objective of 100% circularity, while also meeting rising customer demand for ethical design and progressive retail options. At Timberland, they design their goods to last a long time. Whether repaired for resale or disassembled and repurposed into something new, those goods will now have a second life. The customer and product journeys continue in any case, and they continue to drive the globe ahead together.

Timberland also gives a “behind-the-scenes” look at its latest eco-innovation, the Timberloop™ Trekker, a new city hiker for spring 2022 that is particularly built for circularity. The Timberloop™ Trekker has a unique sole structure that allows the outsoles to be readily removed and each portion put into its own customized recycling stream at the ReCircled facility, giving it a sneaker-like feel and a futuristic outdoor aesthetic.

Timberland's vice president of global footwear design, Chris McGrath, said they’re extremely delighted to bring the Timberloop™ Trekkers to market next spring. While Timberland has always used recycled materials in its footwear, this design breakthrough puts us on the road to full circularity, where nothing goes to waste. And now, thanks to ReCircled, they have a mechanism in place to close the loop.

Circularity will assist Timberland to reach zero waste/impact in their quest to have a net positive influence on the environment by 2030. Timberland aspires to shift the scales from zero to net positive – really assisting in the restoration of nature – by getting all of its natural materials from regenerative agriculture.