Timberland’s commitment to create better product focuses on what goes into each product as well as how it is made.  Two factories that make Timberland® footwear and backpacks are saving energy, water, and manufacturing costs, thanks to their participation in the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Vietnam Improvement Program (VIP).  This resource efficiency program, adopted by Timberland’s parent company, VF Corporation, has fostered sustainable manufacturing in the apparel, textile and footwear sectors since July 2015 and also forwards Timberland’s commitment to a greener future.  IFC has worked with 22 Vietnamese apparel and footwear factories supplying VF’s portfolio of global brands, resulting in 514.3 gigajoules of avoided energy consumption, $5.4 million in savings, 64,727 tons of avoided greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and 91,5238 m3 of water saved.

VF nominates eligible factories every 18 months.  Nominated factories hold a kickoff meeting to introduce the program and gain management commitments.  IFC consultants perform a full baseline resource efficiency assessment of the factory to identify current practices and to collect and measure data to identify potential saving opportunities and solutions.  Factory management representatives and their technical leads attend a two-day training on energy management systems, best practices and energy efficiency solutions for electrical systems, boilers, machinery and equipment, production processes including chemicals and water usage as well as a pre-feasibility for rooftop solar. The training also offers an introduction to the HIGG Facility Environmental Module (FEM) with the aim to improve HIGG FEM scores.

After the data collection and onsite assessment, IFC consultants recommend energy efficiency improvements for both utility management and manufacturing processes such as boiler and air compressor management, water use, reuse and recycling opportunities. IFC consultants estimate investment costs, payback timeframes and environmental savings.  VF and IFC co-fund the VIP to enable factories to participate in this program. The program is supported by VF’s Sustainable Operations team in Vietnam who provide hands-on knowledge and advice to each factory during the program implementation period.  If complex, high-cost updates are needed, IFC conducts more detailed feasibility studies and helps identify local investors to aid the factory with costs associated with the necessary improvements.  

Starite International, a backpack company in Bien Hoa that employs almost 5,000 workers, was the first Timberland factory to participate in the VIP.  Starite implemented nine of the 15 projects identified by the VIP, six of which save electricity, and three that save water.  Projects included replacing tube lights with LEDs, fixing compressed air leakages, reducing the inlet air temperature to their compressors, replacing clutch motors in sewing machines with servo motors, reusing water from vegetable washing, optimizing water used for toilet flushing, and installing low flow taps.  These projects cost Starite less than $27,000 and will save the factory 303,923 KWh per year, 16,568 cubic meters of water per year, and $40,153 in savings.