Lands’ Friendly
OUR COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT IS AN ONGOING PRIORITY FOR LANDS’ END
OUR LEADERSHIP’S VISION
Gary Comer
_
Founder
When Gary Comer founded Lands’ End in 1963‚ his interest in
sustainability was evident from the beginning. He insisted on selling
only quality items that were durable‚ built to last. “Make it as good
as you can‚” he said‚ knowing that if it’s made well in the first place‚
it will serve for seasons to come. And later‚ to certify his belief‚
he added‚ “Guarantee it. Period.”
He moved his company from Chicago to Dodgeville for a reason. He liked
the rural work ethic‚ and the promise of a bigger corporate campus would
give him the chance to pursue a new goal: helping employees and their
families lead healthier lives. “Take care of the customer‚ take care of
the employee‚ the rest will take care of itself‚” was the way he always
put it.
In his personal life he was a sailor. He sailed around the globe‚ always
curious to know what was beyond the horizon‚ fascinated by the sea.
In 2001 he sailed the Northwest Passage on his yacht Turmoil; he
returned with a deep and abiding interest in abrupt climate change as a
result of what he saw. He donated money to study the issue and according
to the Comer Family Foundation‚ at one point he was providing more money
for climate change research than the U.S. government.
Gary’s interest in the future of our planet and his directive that we do
business in a sustainable manner has guided us to this day.
MEANINGFUL INITIATIVES
Recycling
Re-use, re-purpose, re-cycle – we’re on it
Zero Landfill
With a little work, you can reduce your waste size!
Recycling & waste management
LANDS’ END HAS A BROAD RANGE OF RECYCLING AND WASTE MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES
AT BOTH ITS USA HEADQUARTERS AND EUROPEAN SITES FOR PAPER PRODUCTS,
ALUMINiUM CANS, GLASS, PLASTIC and waste fabrics. EFFORTS ARE CONSISTENTLY
MONITORED IN EACH OF THESE AREAS, AND THE COMPANY IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS
TO INCREASE OUR EFFICIENCY. WE CURRENTLY RECYCLE 100% OF OUR CORRUGATED
CARDBOARD – and here IN THE UK, surplus it equipment is donated to our local
air ambulance service, who refurbish and sell on, raising much-needed funds
for their charities, and helping complete the recycle chain.
Zero Landfill
at our european distribution headquarters, a whopping 94% OF our
GENERATED WASTE is re-used, re-purposed or recycled – with the remaining
6% converted to Refuse derived Fuel. OUR GERMANY HEADQUARTERS ARE ONLY A
SHORT LEAP FROM JOINING US IN THIS TARGET, WITH less than 3% of total
waste, PER ANNUM, GOING TO LANDFILL. OUR GOAL IS TO STRIVE TO MAKE LANDS’
END A COMPLETELY ZERO-LANDFILL COMPANY, ETHICALLY AND EFFICIENTLY
REDESIGNING USED RESOURCES TO ELIMINATE WASTE. WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR
WAYS TO COMPOST FOOD SCRAPS, FURTHER REDUCE PAPER USE AND REFURBISH OR
REUSE ITEMS USED IN ALL ASPECTS OF COMPANY OPERATIONS.
Going Green in Europe
BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rated European Distribution Centre
Made better
Quality is at the heart of everything we do
going green
LANDS’ END OPENED THE ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY EUROPEAN DISTRIBUTION
CENTRE IN OAKHAM IN 2010 – ONE OF THE GREENEST BRITISH BUILDINGS OF ITS
KIND. THE 61,000SQ FT BUILDING IS RATED AS ‘EXCELLENT’ BY THE BUILDING
RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT METHOD. (BREEAM). THE
BUILDING benefits from: SOLAR AND AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMP ENERGY; GREY WATER
HARVESTED FROM THE ROOF FOR FLUSHING TOILETS; ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHTING;
RECLAIMED STONE IN THE BUILDINGS FOUNDATIONS; SUPER-INSULATION TO REDUCE
HEAT LOSS; LIGHTING THAT MINIMISES LIGHT POLLUTION FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS –
AND WILD-LIFE FRIENDLY PLANTING in the grounds.
LANDS’ END PRODUCTS ARE MADE BETTER TO LAST LONGER
WE THINK ‘HAND-ME-DOWN’ QUALITY IS ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING ‘LESS IMPACT ON
THE EARTH’. THAT’S WHY WE WON’T CUT CORNERS WHEN MAKING EVEN THE MOST
BASIC OF STYLES. AFTER ALL, IF A THING IS WORTH DOING – IT’S WORTH DOING
THE BEST WAY WE CAN. THAT’S OUR GUIDING PHILOSOPHY, AND THE WAY WE LIKE
TO DO BUSINESS.
Down Procurement policy
Lands' End customers can be assured that we are fully committed to having a
responsible, trustworthy, and ethical supply chain that includes the use of
100% Responsible Down Standard (RDS) certified down, the highest quality
responsibly sourced down available. Lands' End does not use, purchase, or
source live plucked down, which is a barbaric practice that is completely out
of line with our values.
As an industry leader, we have worked tirelessly to operate with a zero
tolerance policy to ensure that our suppliers, vendors and all involved
parties of our supply chain adhere to the highest standards of compliance and
ethics. We take all allegations seriously and vigorously investigate each one
to make certain that all issues are addressed and resolved, so there is no
mistake as to our commitment to providing the best and most ethical down
product for our customers.