The natural rubber used to craft its protective waterproof footwear is derived from the sap of rubber trees.
Hunter is pledging to ensure that all-natural rubber will come from Forest Stewardship Council certified forests by 2025. With 125 products in its 2022 collection, it will be its largest sustainable range made with natural rubber gathered from FSC-certified well-managed forests. This will make up 14 percent of its total footwear collection.
The current Hunter Forests collection has been made using natural, vegan rubber harvested from FSC-certified managed forests in Guatemala. It features their Original Forest Tall boot and the Original Forest Short boot.
The sustainability strategy addresses three pillars – Protect Our Forests, Protect Our Resources, and Protect Our People & Communities. Their seven sustainability pledges Hunter explains, will "play an “important role” in both the day-to-day running of the business and its long-term objectives, the seven pledges are there to “hold itself accountable and benchmark progress throughout the entire company”.
The seven pledges:
• By 2025, all of its rubber footwear will be Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.
• Hunter pledges to work with World Land Trust to protect endangered forests, the species that depend on it and the people that care for it.
• In 2022, 65 percent of Hunter’s collection will incorporate FSC-certified rubber, Bloom algae foam or recycled textiles.
• By 2022, 100 percent of Hunter’s packaging will be recyclable.
• By 2022, Hunter will become carbon neutral across its direct global operations and will offset all direct carbon emissions from global stores and offices.
• By 2022, Hunter will have conducted inclusive worldwide leadership training for all hiring managers in line with its Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and its new HR policies and procedures.
• Hunter has donated over 150,000 boots to date and every year and pledges to donate a further 15,000 pairs of fully functional boots to global charities, including those that respond to natural disasters, pandemics and the refugee crisis.
The brand will protect and support the environment and people around it, from using innovative lower impact materials to supporting its communities.
Read more about Hunter’s manifesto and pledges
View the FSC Certified Hunter Forests collection