GREENSBORO – VF Corporation, the US-based apparel business which owns the Lee, The North Face and Timberland apparel brands, is aiming to achieve the large scale commercialisation of circular business models by 2030. The company has outlined a series of ambitious commitments, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, as part of its updated sustainability strategy. To drive its circularity goals, the business says it will adopt a number of strategies, including reselling lightly used products, offering apparel rental services and designing for circularity.
VF’s ‘Made for Change’ strategy also sees the business aiming to halve its upstream environmental impact, farm-to-front door by 2030, announce new science-based climate goals by 2019, introduce 100 per cent renewable energy in owned and operated facilities by 2025, reduce the average impact of its key materials by 35 per cent by 2025 and ensure 50 per cent of all nylon and polyester comes from recycled materials by 2025.
This final target is hugely ambitious in our opinion – arguably one of the boldest statements yet by a leading apparel retailer in terms of committing to recycled polyester and other forms of more sustainable synthetic fibres.
VF Corp also says 100 per cent of its outdoor apparel will be PFC-free by 2025. This is no major surprise given that national and international regulators may well have enforced a blanket ban on PFC use in apparel by that date.
“Made for Change is the underpinning of our current actions and future aspirations. It details how we are fusing our focus on growth, value creation and innovation with our steadfast commitment to lead our industry into a more sustainable future,” said Steve Rendle, chairman and CEO VF Corp.
