Etnies’ Buy A Shoe, Plant A Tree Project Expands To Brazil

                                                                  etnies Surfer Chris Del Moro Wearing the Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree Jameson 2 Eco

Transworld Business

Etnies announced that it is bringing its Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree project back for a second season, and this year it’s moving the program from the forests of Costa Rica to Brazil.

Here’s more on the project:

February 7, 2012 (Lake Forest, CA) – Over the last 500 years, Brazil’s Atlantic Rainforest has been destroyed dramatically leaving only seven percent of its original cover today. Through agricultural production and urban development, millions of acres of trees have been tragically damaged, burned or cut down. etnies , a global action sports footwear brand, is stepping in by expanding its Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree project to help reverse Brazil’s deforestation. Through its partnership with Trees for the Future , a leading nonprofit organization planting trees worldwide through seed distribution, agroforestry training and in-country technical assistance, etnies will bring people together to make a difference in this area, one shoe and tree at a time.

etnies will support planting 100,000 trees within the Atlantic Rainforest’s state of São Paulo throughout  2012. The one-for-one program plants a tree for every purchase of etnies Jameson 2 and Jameson 2 Eco men’s and kid’s shoes as well as girl’s Caprice Eco and Circe Eco shoes.

“We play in our planet, and we need to take care of it,” said Pierre-Andre Senizergues, CEO and Owner of etnies. “Through our Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree project we are excited that everyone can come together to be a part of the solution – giving future generations the opportunity to see and experience the benefits these life-giving rainforests bring to the Earth.”

Through its 2012 partnership with Trees for the Future <http://www.plant-trees.org/> , etnies’ Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree project will empower and educate students and indigenous groups of Brazil on how to restore their lands with the tree cover that once filled their country. Local students and native groups of São Paulo will be taught about environmental issues, how to produce tree seedlings and transplant trees. Together, these groups will plant 100,000 trees as part of the Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree project. The planting begins in March 2012.

The Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree project began in Costa Rica and throughout the course of 2011 gained enough consumer support to plant 35,000 trees on the Maleku reserve with the help from La Reserva Forest Foundation. By expanding into Brazil and partnering with Trees for the Future in 2012, etnies can continue to help reverse deforestation and protect our environment on an even larger scale.

                                                                       Left to right: etnies’ Spring 2012 Men’s Jameson 2 Eco and Girl’s Caprice Eco

etnies’ spring 2012 collection of Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree footwear is available at retailers worldwide and at etnies.com <http://etnies.com/shop/jameson-2-eco-4/black-grey/?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=hpsubfeature> . For more information on etnies and its Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree collection, please visit etnies.com <http://etnies.com/blog/buy-a-shoe-plant-a-tree/> .

About etnies:

Established in 1986, etnies is the first skateboarder-owned and operated global action sports footwear and apparel company. etnies not only pushed the envelope by creating the first pro model skate shoe, but it pioneered technological advances  and changed the face of skateboard footwear forever. Today, etnies’ vision, led by owner and skateboarder Pierre-André Senizergues, is to remain the leading action sports company committed to creating innovative products that provide the most style, comfort and protection possible.  etnies stays true to its roots by sponsoring world class skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, moto x, BMX and auto teams and continues its dedication by giving back to each of these communities.  For additional information, visit etnies.com <http://www.etnies.com/> .

About Trees for the Future

Headquartered in Silver Spring, Md. and founded in 1989, Trees for the Future is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization helping communities around the world plant trees. Through seed distribution, sustainable management and agroforestry training, and in-country technical assistance, it empowers rural groups worldwide to restore tree cover to their lands, protect the environment and help to preserve traditional livelihoods and cultures for generations. To learn more, visit: http://www.plant-trees.org <http://www.plant-trees.org/> .

Patagonia’s “The Footprint Chronicles”

Patagonia's “The Footprint Chronicles” is a website and short video series centered on the idea that Patagonia customers want to know the details of where their products come from. In other words, Patagonia is inviting the public to come with them as they assess and improve their own supply chain in China and all countries where they operate, demonstrating a level of transparency that few companies have ever approached. As such, it presents an opportunity not only to improve Patagonia’s own operations by opening them up to public scrutiny, but it can inform a more nuanced public discourse that will encourage greater transparency among other global corporations.

Patagonia’s initiative is particularly impressive because it endeavours to be transparent about both the social/labor and environmental impacts of the work the company does. While many companies are, of course, implementing transparency initiatives, Patagonia’s project is more or less unprecedented, because of the size of the company as well as the fact that it originated from customer demand. Customers of Patagonia, which produces high-end sports and outdoor apparel, were concerned about where their sweaters and wetsuits were coming from, and “what was being done in our name?” Patagonia’s approach is innovative and quite encouraging, and they have the ambitious goal of becoming the first notable company to be “regenerative”, to essentially give back more than it takes in terms of natural capital. Overconsumption is the problem, the people at Patagonia say, and by making their supply chain – their fabric materials, factories, transportation, and retail outlets – fully transparent, they are pioneering a new way of doing business. Let’s hope that more companies see the benefits of the “Footprint Chronicles” and follow suit.

The Footprint Chronicles Website

ipath’s Craig Metzger On Skateboarding’s State Of Sustainability

While ipath isn't exactly a snowboard company we feel it's important to share their environmental efforts through Transworld Business's recent interview with Marketing Director Craig Metzger...

Founded by Matt Field and Brian Krauss, ipath’s path has been one of understated focus on its environmental impact. While the company’s shoes are made from earth friendlier fabrics and glues and its packaging is 100% post-consumer recycled, you won’t find any glaring claims of self righteousness in its marketing or on its Web site. Despite this fact, it has grown a strong reputation as being on the forefront of decreasing the footprint of its footprints. We caught up with Marketing Director Craig Metzger for his take on where the industry is as far as walking the eco-talk and how the recession has affected enviro-nitiatives.

What have been the biggest environmental developments in action sports over the last two years?

Everyone is trying to figure out ways to lessen their impact on the environment. For some brands it’s [just] green washing and for others they take it serious. People have been using more organic cotton and recycled fabric, for example PET, within their apparel lines and footwear companies have begun to explore better ways to make their shoes from the glues to using sustainable products like hemp. Overall the biggest development has been the realization that doing the right thing goes beyond marketing and trend chasing.

Do you think environmental ethics in manufacturing and business processes have moved forward or regressed during the recession? Why?

It’s hard for me to comment on others’ business practices but for us at ipath we are constantly trying to improve our manufacturing practices and are always looking to do things in an eco-conscious manner as well as create a viable business. Sometimes doing the right thing can cost more so I could see certain brands pulling away from it from a numbers standpoint. For ipath, it’s part of our ethos so no matter what state of economics we are in, we will always strive to do the right thing.

From a business standpoint, what are the biggest reasons for the industry to push for more environmentally friendly products/processes?

It all comes down to being responsible and understanding the lifecycle of the product you make. Corporations are the biggest polluters so it must be the corporations’ responsibility to try and do the right thing for the environment and society.

What have been the biggest challenges in helping to move your company towards sustainability?

The biggest one is price. It has been getting a lot more cost effective to take the eco route with regard to products and marketing materials cause the increased demand has begun to drop the price. It’s still higher in some cases but the more we push toward eco and social friendly solutions the [more] prices will fall in place.

What messages have been the most effective for you in marketing environmental products and initiatives?

We don’t really push the environmental message as much as we should to the public. We try to educate our retailers on the processes and products we make but in terms of blasting the public with green messages we haven’t really done that as of yet.

How do you leverage your business partners and customers (factories/retailers/manufacturers/consumers) to support the same message you’re working on?

We are part of Timberland and they have a really strict code of ethics. We are fortunate enough to be a part of a company that really cares about the environment and social issues around the globe. Most of the factories we try to work with are Timberland approved, and if we use vendors outside of their network we try to make sure they understand where we are coming from in terms of our commitment. With regard to our retailers, the decision is based on consumer demand. The more the kid comes in looking for eco-alternatives, the more we will see them react. Currently it’s hard to gauge but we are seeing success in our distribution channels. Our consumer is definitely looking for alternatives and is trying to put their money where their environmental beliefs fall.

Do you think we can really succeed in making truly sustainable products?

No product, that I know of, goes cradle-to-cradle but that doesn’t mean we can’t take steps in achieving a balance between commerce and environment. It’s all about commitment and seeing past the numbers and realizing the big picture.

ipath

Tranworld Business