Brooks is Green!

Today I wanted to go over something that I appreciate companies working towards, going Green. The word Green today holds more meanings then it did in prior years. Green for the people of today embodies an idea of helping the environment and attempting to make things a little better for mother nature in whatever way works for you.


Some words from Brooks:

"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. "

Here are a few ways Brooks is working to keep Green going:

BioMoGo

"Building off the momentum gained by our 2006 Runner’s World International “Best Innovation” Award for our environmentally sustainable development projects, Brooks has introduced the first-ever biodegradable running shoe midsole: BioMoGo. Yes, we’ve taken the long-lasting cushioning of our original MoGo midsole and made it more environmentally friendly.

How, you ask? We’ve added a non-toxic, natural additive to the MoGo compound that encourages anaerobic microbes to munch away once it hits an active enclosed landfill. Traditional Ethylene Vinyl Acetate™ (EVA) midsoles can last up to 1,000 years in a landfill. BioMoGo’s microbial munch rate is 50 times faster, biodegrading nutrients into reusable byproducts. Over the course of, say, 20 to 25 years or so, Brooks alone can save 29.9 million pounds of landfill waste. For you pigskin fans out there, that equals 1,277 football fields covered one shoe deep!"

Brooks Shoe Box

"Our shoe packaging is the next best thing to no box at all. In Brooks’ quest to reduce, reuse, and recycle, we became a bit obsessed. Using 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) content was just the start. Drumroll, please…

We switched to a single-color, less energy-intensive flexographic printing process, and water-based inks and adhesives that are cleaner and better on the environment. More box sizes mean a tighter fit, saving 150 tons of paper annually. We also said, “Goodbye, shoe stuffing!” We talked to you, the runner, ran some shipping trials, and discovered shoe stuffing wasn’t necessary. Nor were those annoying Silica packs. The wrapping tissue? It’s chlorine-free, 100% PCR, and we use less of it than before. And we’re thrilled to be sourcing it from a nearby, low-emissions box factory with its own on-site water treatment facility. Sweet!"

Brooks Green Awards

• Footwear News 2008 Green Award: Footwear News, the leading footwear trade publication, trumpeted Brooks’ efforts to be more sustainable, which include eco-friendlier technologies like BioMoGo and HPR Green, waste-reducing manufacturing practices like Compression Molded Preform (CMP), and shoe boxes made from 100-percent recycled paperboard and non-toxic, soy-based inks.

• Runner’s World 2008 International Green Award: Presented to a technology or company that best addresses the environmental impact of running, the leading running magazine’s International Green Award has only been awarded twice in the past three years—both times to Brooks. Most recently, Runner’s World honored the Trance™ 8 (men's/women's), which launched in July 2008 with the inclusion of BioMoGo.

• Trail Runner 2008 Sprout Award: BioMoGo grabbed Trail Runner‘s Sprout Award for “Best Green Innovation.” New in 2008, the Sprout Awards recognize a race director, company, community leader, and innovation that have made remarkable steps to achieve environmental and social consciousness during the year. Trail Runner’s editors feel BioMoGo will have “a direct impact on reducing landfill waste” and applaud Brooks’ open-source stance with the technology.

• Plant a Tree USA™ Great Green Business Award: In May 2008, Plant a Tree USA™lauded us with its first-ever "Great Green Business Award." The award, given to environmentally responsible businesses, applauded Brooks for its "exemplary green business ethics and responsibility."

Thank you Brooks for working hard to make this planet a little better!