Green Room

Beyond proper gear, running requires little more than energy and desire. No membership dues, no travel expenses, no lift tickets, or greens fees. The only other necessities to enjoy a good run are a safe running surface, clean air, and fresh water.

That means we at Brooks are intrinsically linked to nature. Linked in how our materials are sourced, and how our gear is manufactured. Linked in how our products are used and what happens to them at the end of their life cycles.

A spirit of authenticity and truth pervades all we do. We realize that simply by creating product, we’re also creating a byproduct of environmental impact. We are conscious of this fact and work tirelessly to adapt our efforts to support the needs of our changing planet.

Positively impacting humanity and the earth is a lifelong race. What follows are a few examples of the new technologies and practices Brooks has put into action to demonstrate our commitment:

Our Carbon Footprint
Our Green Awards

Collateral Materials

From brochures and catalogs to P.O.P. and hangtags, we scrutinize our printed pieces and vendor partners for their environmental impact. All paper we use is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which means it’s made using wood from well-managed forests, company controlled sources, and/or recycled material. We use only soy-based inks; even our metallic inks aren’t harmful to the environment. So what does this mean as an end result? By using more responsible materials for our Spring 2009 Footwear and Apparel catalogs alone, Brooks saved the following:

14,000 lb. of wood from trees (that’s 44 trees)
15,989 gal. of water (enough for 1,599 five-minute showers)
4,877 lb. of exhaust emissions (equivalent to driving a compact car 6,372 mi.)
2,646 lb. of solid waste (equivalent to 91 32-gal. cans of garbage)

CMP Midsole Manufacturing Process

Brooks’ eco-friendlier midsole manufacturing process reduces waste by 50 percent as compared to traditional midsole manufacturing methods. Typically, midsoles are punched out of large sheets—much like using a cookie cutter—leaving unusable excess material. Brooks’ midsoles are created using an efficient Compression Molded Preform (CMP) midsole process. It also saves steps and time, reducing labor and energy outputs. That means it’s better for the earth, better for your conscience.

HPR Green

Brooks’ proprietary HPR (High Performance Rubber) Green outsole—featured in our Beast®, Ariel®, Addiction™ Walker, Addiction™ Walker V-Strap, and our entire Trail footwear collection—is a durable, long-wearing outsole compound made from sand rather than oil. That warrants a high-five from Mother Nature for petroleum reduction. This environmentally friendlier composition also results in premium wet-dry traction for excellent skid-resistance.

Distribution Center

Our green focus extends beyond our corporate office walls. Brooks’ product distribution center (DC), located in Sumner, Wash., follows a strict environmental policy for energy and materials used for packaging and shipping products, as well as for the building itself. In 2006 our DC team replaced all halogen lighting with fluorescent, resulting in an energy reduction of more than 30 percent. Furthermore, Brooks reuses 90 percent of inbound footwear and apparel shipping cartons for outbound customer orders. The remaining 10 percent of cartons and scrap corrugate are recycled through a program with Weyerhaeuser. All new shipping cartons, product slips, and other paper sent from our DC are constructed of 100-percent recyclable materials. Now that’s more sustainable shipping.

Carbon Footprint

To evaluate our baseline carbon footprint, The Bainbridge Graduate Institute used the General Reporting Protocol from the Climate Registry, newly released in May 2008. This reporting guideline and tool is based on the World Resources Institute/World Business Council for Sustainable Development Greenhouse Gas Protocol, a globally accepted standard for assessing and reporting GHG emissions. Every effort was made to follow the Climate Registry’s reporting requirements in order to achieve accurate and repeatable results.

So there you have it. Or at least the start of it. Please visit The Green Room in the future for more information on how Brooks puts social responsibility and environmental stewardship beliefs into action. Why? Because your feet deserve more. You deserve more. The world deserves more.