What is Lands' End doing to be more "green"?
Gary Comer was a philanthropist to the community and a prominent figure in the climate change movement in his own right. Lands' End continues to honor his vision in a variety of Lands' Friendly ways. Take a look.
What does it mean to be green or environmentally friendly?
To be environmentally or eco-friendly one must be making daily choices to use less and to reuse more. We know the slogan: reduce, reuse, recycle. It's the mantra we tell ourselves each and every day so that we can avoid landfills and encourage a more thoughtful and greener planet. Even small steps on an individual level can have a significant impact.
As it goes, if individuals can make positive change, then the same ought to be true of businesses.
Lands' End is raising its profile by using sustainable practices
Durable clothing is far better to the environment than the fast-fashion trends that consume the textile industry. Lands' End sees it this way: if you're going to be consistent, be the best at being consistent. Flannels shirts and jeans rarely go out of style
Poorly made clothing pollutes landfills, negatively impacts fresh water sources, and wastes resources. It makes more sense to buy clothes that are worth the money you pay for them, especially since you want to be a sustainable shopper.
Inching toward a better future.
In order to be a green company, those green habits have to be routine. When you want to be healthy yourself, you can't just go out and run a marathon, then go back to eating cheese puffs on the daily. Each and every day is a step forward, and luckily when the company got started in 1963 it was already way ahead in putting its greenest foot forward. Here are some of those steps:
- One Million Trees and Counting: In a partnership with the National Forest Foundation, over one million trees have been planted to make the air we breathe and the water we drink that much cleaner.
- Clean Lakes Alliance Partnership: Cleaner lakes in a state that's full of them? Lands' End likes that idea and donates money and volunteers in order to help encourage the communities to care for the serene fresh water sources so important to life.
- Breathe New Life: Recycling Lands' End products and textiles will create more sustainable production processes. Creating campus gardens for the Lands' End ecosystem provides employees and families of employees a land-centric hobby.
- Zero Landfill: Corporate headquarters already keeps 90 percent of waste from hitting landfills but has a reachable goal in place and hopes to be a Zero Landfill company.
- Energy Use: When it comes to the textile process, it takes a bit more than turning off the lights every time you leave the room. Lands' End has implemented power saving techniques into its processes, uses LED lighting, and is working toward getting all of its buildings an Energy Star rating. The less energy used, the less of a carbon footprint.
Eco friendly practice makes perfect.
The best companies for the environment are willing to produce change directly in their communities. Sure, donating a big chunk of change can make a difference, but when you have executives rolling up their sleeves to clean up the lakes or actively take part in the work culture, that says a boat load more than just a signature on a check.