“The evolution of our approach to sustainability lies in the design of our products. When we make sustainability a fundamental component of everything we design, then we can move toward making innovative products that have a positive effect on the environment and society.”
– James Rogers, Director of Sustainability
Our sustainability mission is to protect our outdoor playgrounds and communities through the design and development of environmentally and socially responsible products and business practices. We conducted life cycle assessments of products in our apparel, footwear and equipment categories, and determined that the majority of our environmental impact comes from fabric processing and product manufacturing. This is where we direct our major focus.
We incorporate recycled materials into The North Face products and take responsibility for our products’ end-of-life through a long-standing commitment to durability and our Clothes the Loop take-back program. We have also engaged our suppliers in efforts to reduce chemicals, water, energy and waste in their mills, with savings equivalent to removing over 212 tanker trucks of chemicals and over 470 Olympic swimming pools of water since 2010.