We operate in all our production sites to internationally recognised environmental laws and regulations and expect all of our material and component suppliers to do the same.

Our mission is to make our product as sustainable as possible and to ensure that all production processes are efficient and renewable.

We know that protecting the environment and living life in a sustainable way is highly important to you, our customers and as we continue this process of improvement and learning we look forward to sharing our progress with you as you join us on our journey.

Listed below are the core pillars of our Environmental and Sustainability policy.

Product

For over 140 years here at Loake Bros Ltd we have been manufacturing high quality durable footwear, crafted for longevity and lasting performance.

In this modern age of disposability, we are proud that our products are in no way, designed, developed or crafted to be thrown away, but produced to give a long life of wear if treated and cared for correctly.

For many years we have been offering a repair service for our products in the true spirit of sustainability and we continue to support the ethos of renew, reuse and repair.

The main constituent material in our product is leather, a natural by-product and fully biodegradable.

We continue to search for the best materials and components for our product and to partner with suppliers who are as committed as we are to protect the environment and the planet.

Leather

The main constituent material in our product is leather, which is a natural by-product and biodegradable.

We are very aware that the sourcing and production of leather can have an environmental impact. We are therefore engaging in a programme of traceability, visibility and accountability of our leather sourcing practices to monitor and track our raw materials back to the tanneries and eventually even further back beyond that.

All the tanneries that we work with are Leather Working Group members, or working towards this, and are therefore audited to prove their commitment to the highest EU and International environmental and animal welfare standards.

Most shoe leather is a by-product of the food industry and we are committed to avoiding leather made from endangered species or animals that have been slaughtered purely for the production of leather or fur.

Energy

Over the last few years, we have invested heavily in new forms of renewable energy to help reduce our carbon footprint and enhance our energy efficiency and reduce our consumption of global resources.

This includes fitting solar panels to the roof of our UK production site and investment in high efficiency generators. We continue to research and investigate all forms of energy saving and efficiencies to reduce our overall carbon footprint.

We continue to work with our production partners and suppliers to ensure that they are also doing all they can to be energy efficient and reduce emissions.

Packaging

We endeavour to limit the amount of packaging waste that we create through the process of our global sourcing practices and wherever possible, we are reducing packaging and looking to use recyclable or re-usable materials.

Our product is sold and delivered to you in beautifully crafted boxes made from recycled and recyclable materials.

We continue to investigate new innovative packaging materials that use fewer natural resources, that are recyclable and fully circular.

Waste Management

All businesses create waste, particularly in the manufacturing sector. We only dispose of our waste through globally recognised partners who reprocess, recycle and responsibly dispose of waste.

We aim for zero landfill and work with our global production partners and material and component suppliers to ensure that they also act responsibly regarding waste disposal and management.

Progress Reporting

Our objective is to be transparent in reporting our progression and continual improvement in becoming more energy efficient, reducing our packaging use and waste, while managing our carbon footprint.

We will do this through developing and building (EMS) Environmental Management Systems and Carbon Footprint Mapping throughout both our waste disposal partners and third party independent environmental organisations and agencies.

Commitment of Intent

- To develop our product to be sustainable and renewable
- Reduce our energy consumption
- To reduce our packaging usage
- Manage monitor and track our waste disposal
- Be open transparent and honest about our progress
- Make Environmental and Sustainability targets ongoing business policy for annual review