SUSTAINABILITY
At A.C.Hare, we take sustainability very seriously. We are doing all we can to have minimal impact on the environment and are endeavouring to have a positive influence upon our supply chain. Our boots are designed and built to stand the test of time - both in terms of fashionability and durability.
We believe that it is important to fully understand the source of our materials used. Our leathers, predominantly bovine, are a by-product of the meat industry and are sourced responsibly from tanneries who are members of the Leather Working Group (LWG). These tanneries are audited by independent specialists against criteria on emissions to air and water, solid waste, energy and water usage, and compliance with legislation on restricted substances. We do not use any animal fur and skins of any endangered, exotic, or wild caught animals, such as reptile skins.
The soles of our boots are made of either leather or rubber. The rubber we use is made from a minimum of 30% recycled rubber. We use cork to fill the sole. This material helps to prolong the life of the boots as it is moisture wicking and creates a comfortable mould. Cork is harvested from the bark of the cork oak which grows in the Mediterranean. Our cork is sourced locally to our factory. The trees are not cut down as only the bark is used, and this grows back. Our traditional method of Goodyear welting to stitch the sole to the upper contributes to the longevity of our boots. More about how they are made.
Our products are made by traditional artisans in the mountains of Spain. The handcrafted process uses limited amounts of energy. We aim for long-term relationships with our suppliers, so we can work together in a process of continuous improvement to make our products more sustainable. Our suppliers adhere to the relevant EU legislation on working conditions and pay.
Our basic boot box is a brown corrugated box and is 100% recyclable. Our logo is printed using flexographic printing and water based inks, containing no harsh chemicals. Here at A.C.Hare, our acid free tissue paper is completely biodegradable. Once used, you can then choose to reuse your tissue paper for future wrapping or crafts, to recycle it, or to compost it. It will be good for your compost pile as it will soak up any water and keep it from being smelly!
We send out all of our boxes in a postal bag. All of our bags used are partly made from recycled polyethene and are 100% recyclable. In our process of continuous improvement, we are aiming to use 100% recycled materials in the future, when available.
The bubble wrap we use to prevent our boots from being damaged can be recycled. Please check with your local council or recycling facility how and where you can dispose of this responsibly. Use this website to find out about recycling in your local area by entering your postcode.
We monitor all the waste produced in our warehouse and aim to recycle all the waste in our warehouse and to send zero waste to landfill. We normally use no lights at all as we are fortunate to have natural light flooding our warehouse.
A.C.HARE PARTNERSHIP WITH
We are so proud to announce that for EVERY pair of boots purchased on our website, we plant one tree.
Trees are important to our environment. Trees help clean the air we breathe, clean the water we drink, provide habitat to over 80%+ of the World's biodiversity, provide jobs to over 1.6 billion people on this planet, provide health in so many ways (1/4 medicines we take come from trees & plants), and trees absorb carbon from our atmosphere. – One Tree Planted
Is A.C.Hare the one who plants the trees?
Yes... and no. We don’t actually plant the trees ourselves, but we finance their planting. One Tree Planted, a renowned environmental and non-profit organisation from the USA, does all the planting for us. In other words, we actually serve as the middle-man because you actually finance the tree - with every purchase of one of our products. It is important to know that we are not a non-profit organisation but a lifestyle brand that voluntarily reinvests part of the proceeds in tree planting projects to give something back to nature and counteract harmful effects on the environment.
PLANTING TREES WORLDWIDE
The principle is very simple. For every pair of boots or shoes sold, we will give $1 to our partner organisation One Tree Planted at the end of each month. OTP is a globally active, climate-friendly, and non-profit organisation from the United States. We enjoy a good relationship with their founder, Matt Hill, who also regularly helps planting trees. Several times a year, this non-profit organisation carries out professional plantings of regional tree species at more than ten locations worldwide. The trees are planted by many volunteer and dedicated local and OTP volunteers themselves. The trees are planted where they have previously disappeared for various reasons such as agriculture, timber industry, habitat, or natural events (forest fire, drought, etc.)
Where your tree is planted depends on where it is needed the most. Therefore, your tree will be planted at the location where One Tree Planted organises its next tree planting campaign. However, you can always stay up to date by checking One Tree Planted’s website.
