|
|
 |
|
At Brooks we care about more than whether you buy our product. We’re not gonna kid you. We hope you do and we’re confident you’ll enjoy our products, but our interests run deeper than that.
We care about people and the world we all share. We care about healthy bodies and healthy minds. We care about our role in fostering an environment where life can thrive for the long run. We are a consciously driven brand committed to positively impacting humanity and the earth.
So what does this mean? For Brooks, it’s a way of doing business—a way of life. It’s about being aware of our impact on the environment. It’s an inherent, proactive choice to be agents of change. It’s about community support and a socially responsible code of conduct. And it’s about environmental stewardship and doing our part to find acceptable alternatives to non-renewable and toxic materials, energy sources, and manufacturing practices.
Positively impacting humanity and the earth is a lifelong race. What follows are a few examples of the new technologies and practices Brooks has put into action to demonstrate our commitment:
• BioMoGo
• Collateral Materials
• CMP Midsole Manufacturing Process
• Brooks Shoe Box
• HPR Green
• Distribution Center
• Our Carbon Footprint
BioMoGo
Ready for the most exciting environmental innovation to ever hit the sports industry? Well, hang on tight! Building off the momentum gained by our 2006 Runner’s World International “Best Innovation” Award for our environmentally sustainable development projects, Brooks introduces the first-ever biodegradable running shoe midsole: BioMoGo. Yes, we’ve taken the long-lasting cushioning of our original MoGo midsole and made it more environmentally friendly. How, you ask? We’ve added a non-toxic, natural additive to the MoGo compound that encourages anaerobic microbes to munch away once it hits the landfill. Traditional Ethylene Vinyl Acetate™ (EVA) midsoles can last up to 1,000 years in a landfill. BioMoGo’s microbial munch rate is a staggering 50 times faster, biodegrading nutrients into reusable byproducts in 20 to 22 years! That means that in about 20 years' time, Brooks alone will save 29.9 million pounds of landfill waste. For you pigskin fans out there, that equals 1,277 football fields covered one shoe deep!
Look for BioMoGo to make its debut in the Trance™ 8, on store shelves July 1, 2008. What about our other performance running shoes? All Brooks shoes will feature ground-breaking BioMoGo by the end of 2009. And because we believe in being agents of positive change, we’ll release this technology to all other footwear brands. And so on we move—all of us—to greener pastures. Read more about BioMoGo.
• BioMoGo FAQs
• View images of biodegrading MoGo
Back to Top
Collateral Materials
From brochures and catalogs to P.O.P. and hangtags, we scrutinize our printed pieces and vendor partners for their environmental impact. Nearly all of the paper we use is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which means it’s made using wood from well-managed forests, company controlled sources, and/or recycled material. Brooks almost exclusively uses soy-based inks. And even our metallic inks aren’t harmful to the environment. So what does this mean as an end result? By using more responsible materials for our Fall 2008 Footwear and Apparel catalogs alone, Brooks saved the following:
• 13,502.64 lbs of wood from trees (that’s 47 trees)
• 19,026.74 gallons of water (enough for 1,106 eight-minute showers)
• 4,073.12 lbs of exhaust emissions (equivalent to driving a compact car 5,322 miles)
• 2,174.17 lbs of solid waste (equivalent to 75 32-gallon cans of garbage)
Back to Top
CMP
Brooks’ more eco-friendly midsole manufacturing process reduces waste by 50 percent as compared to traditional midsole manufacturing methods. Typically, midsoles are punched out of large sheets—much like using a cookie cutter—leaving unusable excess material. Brooks’ midsoles are created using an efficient Compression Molded Preform (CMP) midsole process. It also saves steps and time, reducing labor and energy outputs. That means it’s good for the earth, good for your conscience.
Brooks Shoe Box
Brooks truly thought out-of-the-box for its new shoe box design, launching January 1, 2008. Made of fully biodegradable, 100-percent recycled paperboard, our new box features only non-toxic, soy-based inks with no heavy metals. All stuffing and wrapping inside the box has been reduced and is also made of biodegradable, 100-percent recycled materials. The box itself and each shoe stay—that molded piece of cardboard inserted into each shoe to help it maintain its shape during shipping—easily fold flat to minimize recycling bin bulk. Brooks also made a point to eliminate inks and expose the craft paper where ink printing is not necessary. Just look at the bottom of the new box for proof. And to naysayers who believe recycled boxes are flimsier? Not ours. Brooks brewed the new recycled paperboard composition in a way that maintains its integrity and doesn’t add an ounce of weight. Putting it all into context, in 2008 alone Brooks’ new shoe boxes will log following environmental savings in materials and production resources:
• 1,626,652 lbs of paper (that’s 13,827 trees)
• 5,693,282 gallons of water (equivalent to 331,007 eight-minute showers)
• 3,253,304 kilowatts of energy (enough to power basic items in 650,661 homes)
• 48,800 less tons of air pollution
Back to Top
HPR Green
Brooks’ proprietary HPR (High Performance Rubber) Green outsole—featured in our Beast®, Ariel®, Addiction™ Walker, Addiction™ Walker V-Strap, and our entire Trail footwear collection—is a durable, long-wearing outsole compound made by replacing some of its petroleum-derived carbon with sand. That warrants a high-five from Mother Nature for petroleum reduction. This environmentally friendly composition also results in premium wet-dry traction for excellent skid-resistance.
Back to Top
Distribution Center
Our green focus extends beyond our corporate office walls. Brooks’ product distribution center (DC), located in Sumner, Wash., follows a strict environmental policy for energy and materials used for packaging and shipping products, as well as for the building itself. In 2006 our DC team replaced all halogen lighting with fluorescent, resulting in an energy reduction of more than 30 percent. Furthermore, Brooks reuses 90 percent of inbound footwear and apparel shipping cartons for outbound customer orders. The remaining 10 percent of cartons and scrap corrugate are recycled through a program with Weyerhaeuser. All new shipping cartons, product slips, and other paper sent from our DC are constructed of 100-percent recyclable materials. Now that’s sustainable shipping.
Back to Top
Carbon Footprint
Just to make sure it’s not all smoke and mirrors, Brooks routinely works with reputable outdoor industry and environmental organizations to analyze our current business practices and their impact on the earth. Examples include:
• The Outdoor Industry Association’s Eco Work Group
• BioEnvironmental Polymer Society
• Society of Plastics Engineers’ Environmental Plastics Technical Division
• American Society for Testing and Materials’ Environmental Plastics Technical Committee
• The Bainbridge Graduate Institute
Brooks currently partners with The Bainbridge Graduate Institute to assess our company's baseline carbon footprint. By early January 2008 we will be scored and counseled on how we can make additional improvements beyond our sustainable programs currently in place. We’ll then track our development as we make responsible adjustments across all business operations. This ongoing knowledge and action with all industry organizations leaves us with a pathway for further lowering our environmental impact and a method for assessing our progress for the future.
So there you have it. Or at least the start of it. Please visit The Green Room in the future for more information on how Brooks puts social responsibility and environmental stewardship beliefs into action. Why? Because your feet deserve more. You deserve more. The world deserves more.
Back to Top
|
|
