VF Corp meets recycled polyester target early, shares sustainable materials progress

VF Corporation used 64% recycled polyester across its brands last year, achieving its 2026 target one year early, according to its latest sustainability report.

The sportswear company, owner of brands such as Vans, Timberland and The North Face, has shared significant progress when it comes to mapping its full supply chain and switching to more sustainable materials for its garments. In particular, its 2026 goal to use 50% recycled polyester has been met early.

To better understand climate risks and opportunities, VF Corp also traced 61% of its key materials all the way from Tier 1 to Tier 5 suppliers in 2025. This allows it to gradually transform its supply chain to favour recycled, sustainable or regenerative materials.

Last year, VF brands sourced 5,003 tonnes of wool, cotton, natural rubber and leather grown using regenerative practices, while 94% of their cotton was grown in Australia, the US or under a third-party sustainability scheme – up from 89% the previous year.

“The [2025 Environmental and Social Responsibility] Report demonstrates progress we have made but we know we will always have more work to do,” the company said in a statement.

Mixed results on emissions

The transition to more sustainable materials is yet to produce measurable results when it comes to emissions. In 2024, VF Corporation’s absolute Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services and upstream transportation and distribution stood at nearly 5.2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent – still 19% higher than its 2017 baseline, despite a 7% reduction compared to 2023.

“This year-over-year reduction in Scope 3 emissions can be attributed to an overall decrease in production volume as well as a continued increase in procurement of preferred and regenerative materials,” the firm, which recently shrunk its sustainability leadership team after months of financial turmoil, explained.

Scope 1 and 2 emissions have seen a more consistent decline since 2017, and are now down by 29%, at 71,130 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, though it is worth noting that methodology changes and the implementation of a carbon accounting platform in 2024 led to a 19% increase in VF Corp’s baseline emissions.

Progress on operational emissions can partly be attributed to In FY25, the purchase of renewable energy credits and the generation of on-site renewable energy equivalent to 29% of the company’s global electricity use.