VF Corp shines light on fashion sustainability issues

Los Angeles - In fashion, there are a lot of companies that are paving the way to help the environment. However, it takes restructuring and transforming for these businesses to actually have an effect on real change. Lifestyle apparel leader VF Corporation is one of the organizations implementing and undergoing these changes in order to have a real impact on the fashion industry.

The company currently is a leader in branded lifestyle apparel, footwear, and accessories brands. Some of the brands under VF Corporation include Vans, The North Face, and Timberland. The company, which has been around for over 116 years, has set a goal to power their global operations with renewable energy by 2025. Currently, VF Corporation has 24 manufacturing sites that produce 25-30 percent of all of their total products. “This is a significant target for VF because unlike most other apparel manufacturers, we still operate large, company-owned manufacturing sites,” said Letitia Webster, vice president of global corporate sustainability of VF Corporation.

VF Corporation reduces energy use by 12 percent, saving 20 million dollars in energy cost

Because VF Corporation owns these manufacturing sites, it allows the company to have control over positive impacts. “We are able to take the learnings that we develop in our facilities and then share them with the roughly 1,000 contract supplier factories to extend the positive impacts, both environmental and social,” said Webster. So far, the organization has already made huge strides internationally in the process. One partner supplier factory in Cambodia operates 100 percent solar. VF Corporation has also started similar projects with six other Cambodian factories. In Vietnam, so far 36 of their strategic supplier factories have completed or are in the process of conducting resource efficiency projects. This company’s initiative is in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC). In Bangladesh, some of VF Corporation’s mills are also joining the program to improve their eco-related actions.

Ultimately, the company’s philosophy is to use their reach around the world in a way to positively impact the fashion industry as well as the world. “[We] can use our global size and scale for good,” said Webster. By pushing their manufacturers and suppliers in the right direction, VF Corporation is leading in making a change in fashion. In 2011, the organization’s goal was to reduce their energy use by 5 percent at the end of 2015. Currently, the company has confirmed that they have actually passed their goal by double, reducing their energy by 12 percent. Overall, the reduction saved VF Corporation 20 million dollars in energy cost. At the same time, the company also improved revenue by 70 percent.

As fashion is heading in this direction, it’s important to see companies striving towards more renewable and energy-efficient options. “Consumers increasingly expect their apparel and footwear to be made sustainable and responsibly,” said Webster. Because of VF Corporation’s global scale, she says how their company is expected by consumers to lead by example. However, this gives the business an opportunity to prioritize reducing their carbon footprint and lead other companies to do the same. “Our industry has the influence to drive change, we just need to leverage it,” said Webster.

Photo: Courtesy of VF Corporation