The earth. It’s the only one we’ve got. So, we better take care of it. After all, without the earth, there wouldn’t be much use for our products.
Deckers is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its operations and products. Our Environmental Objectives are:
In 2010, we measured the environmental impact of our energy use for the first time. We calculated all energy use in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. The first year we looked at our retail stores, distribution centers and offices. The next year we decided to include the transportation and logistics required to get products from the factory to customers. In 2012, we plan to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions of our first tier factories. After the inventory is complete, we will prioritize and establish conservation products to reduce impact.
You might be wondering why we emitted more greenhouse gas in 2010 than in 2009. That’s because we added offices and stores.
Our offices, factory partners and distribution centers around the world are helping us reduce our environmental footprint in many different and innovative ways.
Across our many offices, we have switched to paper with recycled content and implemented duplex (double sided) printing.
At our headquarters office in Goleta, our goal for 2012 is to make sure that 75% of our waste from our headquarters is either recycled or composted. We want to keep as much as we can out of the landfill! In Goleta, we were able to cut our garbage bills nearly in half by implementing a compost program and by simply improving the labeling on waste containers.
The Hong Kong office dramatically reduced its paper consumption by implementing an electronic fax system.
Our offices and stores across Europe have reusable cups, plates and utensils to prevent the use of disposable serving ware.
Our Sanuk offices put a system in place to recycle used batteries and toner cartridges.
Even though over 90% of a shoe’s environmental footprint is created by the time it leaves the factory, there are still many opportunities to make a difference along our value chain. In our Southern California distribution centers, we reduced our environmental impact by expanding our recycling efforts and reducing our energy consumption.
We cut overall cardboard use by more than 20% in our distribution centers through consolidating various recycling programs and through the reuse of boxes we receive from our factories. Ten percent alone came from installing a chute from the upper levels of our distribution centers to help process cardboard for recycling.
We were able to reduce our energy consumption by 10% by installing a system of skylights and motion detectors that turn lights off where no one is present. Our conveyor belt system is divided into zones so that only the zones in use consume energy. In addition, all of our forklifts use rechargeable batteries.
We are collaborating with other companies in the outdoor and apparel industries to develop a tool to measure environmental impacts of products. The goal of this environmental assessment tool is to measure and reduce the social and environmental impact of products. This collaborative effort is happening in the Outdoor Industry Association’s Sustainability Working group and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, and includes companies such as REI, Timberland, Patagonia, Nordstrom, Nike and WalMart.
Deckers used the environmental tool to evaluate five footwear products including a Teva Tirra, an Ahnu Tilden III and an UGG Classic. This process allows our brands to learn about design, development and manufacturing choices that can reduce environmental impacts. Looking at product design through a lens of sustainability will allow us to improve efficiencies, save money and better understand where our materials come from.
We are committed to ensuring that the materials used in our products are safe for workers, consumers and the environment. Our Restricted Substances Policy mandates compliance with all international directives, laws and regulations restricting the concentration of potentially hazardous substances. Compliance with our Restricted Substances Policy is a prerequisite for doing business with us. View the Deckers Restricted Substance List (RSL) here.
