Always focused on outdoor apparel, The North Face went from selling backpacks, tents, and sleeping bags to venturing into streetwear through collaborations with fashion brands and celebrities, such as Gucci and Billie Eilish. This love for the outdoors has always been part of the company’s core, the question now is: Can we say the same about sustainability?
According to the brand’s Senior Global Sustainability Manager, Carol Shu, “[s]ustainability and a deep love of the outdoors have been part of The North Face DNA since the company’s founding. In fact, in 1968 [their] original founders were concerned about the need to keep products out of the landfill, which is why [they] became one of the first apparel companies to introduce a lifetime warranty.”[1]
This may come as a surprise because the brand has never been very vocal about its environmental activism. That’s changing… As consumers and investors are increasingly hot to spend on environmentally-friendly things, the brand has begun to rethink its discourse leaving behind its “conservative” days.
VF Corporation and the Group’s Policies
The North Face is one of the many fashion brands owned by VF Corporation and hence, its sustainability targets and management overall are mainly defined by the latter. According to the parent company’s Vice President, Sean Cady, the group is working to set “a high bar for corporate sustainability and responsibility.”[2]
VF Corporation’s goals (and therefore The North Face’s) are, among others, to improve the lives of 2 million workers and their communities by 2030; to assess and resolve any pay gaps by 2024; to reduce Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 55% and Scope 3 by 30% by 2030 (compared to 2017); to run all of its owned and operated facilities on renewable energy by 2025; and to eliminate single-use plastic packaging by 2025.[3]
In the finance area, to support its main sustainability initiatives, the group closed a €500 million green bond in 2020. One of those initiatives is to source 100% of its top nine materials from regenerative, responsible, recycled, or renewable sources by 2030.[4]
Some of The North Face’s Milestones
As said before, The North Face hasn’t focused much on marketing its “greenness” as some of its competitors have (e.g., Patagonia), yet that doesn’t mean it hasn’t passed great milestones over the years. Here are some examples: in 2018 and 2019 the brand launched, respectively, the ‘Renewed’ platform and the ‘Design Residency’ (which teaches its designers the principles of circular design so that they can implement them into future brand collections). In 2020, the brand launched ‘Renewed Remade’, which includes unique garments that are creatively repaired and that are backed by a one-year Renewed warranty.[5]
When it comes to farming, The North Face is well underway. To mitigate climate change, the brand pays a 25% to 30% premium for superior merino wool. Suppliers of this type of wool are based in landscapes where carbon sequestration practices are in place. Their goal is to improve the soil’s ability to absorb more carbon from the environment. This methodology is called “carbon farming,” and with the support of big brands like The North Face, its widespread adoption can be accelerated. So, here’s the thing: the outdoor apparel giant isn’t just trying to offset its emissions, it’s trying to make a difference through its supply chain. A new way of thinking that is sorely needed in the industry.[6]
The North Face’s Commitments
Today, The North Face has stated four actionable commitments to make its whole supply chain and the “afterlife” of its products more sustainable, namely:
- Scale Circularity: 87 % of the material used to make clothing ends up as waste so The North Face has committed to utilizing more sustainable materials in the products they create. The brand’s ultimate “goal is to develop circular systems to recycle previously-owned gear and reuse the raw materials, keeping them out of waste streams.”[7] The outdoor apparel giant has three programs designed to help combat waste and extend the life of its products: Limited Lifetime Warranty, Renewed Collection, and Clothes the Loop.
- 100% responsibly-sourced apparel fabrics: The brand is committed to ensuring that all products it makes are made with recycled, regenerative, or responsibly-sourced renewable fabrics by 2025. As for footwear and equipment, the plan is to do this by 2030.[8]
- Cooperation with suppliers and retailers: For there to be real change in the fashion industry as a whole, teamwork is key. That’s why the brand is committed to working with suppliers to help reduce its environmental footprint and partnering with retailers who share its mission and values.[9]
- Sustainable packaging: The brand’s goal is to eliminate single-use plastic packaging by 2025. It’s working to reduce remaining product packaging and designing packaging that is more recyclable. For instance, it only uses recycled content and/or third-party certified content (such as Forest Stewardship Council certification) for all of its paper materials.[10]
ThermoBall Eco Jackets
ThermoBall jackets are one of The North Face’s larger product lines that now includes a “sustainable” edge: the ThermoBall Eco, a synthetic alternative to down-made from recycled polyester fabric and recycled Primaloft insulation made from plastic bottles diverted from landfills.
This sounds impressive because when we cannot stick to the “nothing new”, “not-new” (as recycled) can be a fair compromise. Yet, although ThermoBall Eco jackets may appear to be “green,” they are just a sluggish greenwashing technique that slips almost unnoticed into our heads. Yes, it’s a good start, but downcycling plastic bottles into clothes shouldn’t be seen as an industry savior. Instead of turning bottles into clothes, the brand should be focusing more on turning fiber into fiber (you can learn why downcycling plastic bottles into clothes isn’t the silver bullet that will tackle the fashion industry’s environmental problems here).
What About Animals?
The North Face sources wool from non-mulesed sheep and doesn’t use fur, angora, or exotic animal skin. Yet, it still uses leather (learn more about the environmental impact of leather here) and down.
The good thing is that the brand is “committed to improving animal welfare and traceability in [its] goose down and feather supply chain.” In 2014, in partnership with Textile Exchange and Control Union Certifications, it launched the Responsible Down Standard (RDS), which ensures that the down it uses doesn’t come from animals that have been subjected to any unnecessary harm and provides traceability in the supply chain. In 2019, The North Face also launched a line of recycled down.
The Verdict
The North Face may not be the cheapest option on the market, but there is certainly a reason behind it! Naturally, a quality garment that is not the product of exploitation of the environment or workers cannot cost the same as a cup of coffee.
The brand is wisely investing to advance its sustainable practices and, although it is not there yet, it’s on the right track. The improvement in the 2021 Fashion Transparency Index score compared to the previous one is proof of this (51-60% in 2020 and 61-70% in 2021) and that with effort and commitment brands can make a real difference.
What do you think about The North Face? Do you think it’s on the right track? Let us know in the comments below!
