Smartwool Classic Thermal Merino Sustainability Report

Choosing durable outdoor gear is perhaps the most effective way to reduce environmental impact—the longer it lasts, the less it needs to be produced. Our proprietary longevity rating evaluates overall build quality based on factors such as materials, fabric denier, component durability (including zippers and toggles), real-world performance as reported by our field testers, and our experiences with the brand. Overall, we feel strongly that reducing overall consumption is a cornerstone of sustainability.

While we couldn’t confirm whether the Smartwool Classic Thermal Merino contains sustainably sourced wool, it's likely that it does, as more than 96% of the wool used across Smartwool’s parent company, VF Corporation, is sourced through RWS and/or ZQ Wool. This meets our criteria for sustainably sourced wool.

There are two leading certification systems for sustainably sourced wool in the outdoor industry: the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) and ZQ Wool. The Responsible Wool Standard, set by The Textile Exchange, ensures wool suppliers follow best farming practices, including sustainable land management and animal and social welfare. ZQ Wool provides similar environmental and social standards and supports a network of growers who aim to sequester more carbon than they emit. Some brands use less widespread equivalent certifications, which we consider when appropriate.

Smartwool’s parent company, VF Corporation, has its own comprehensive audit program for its suppliers. However, we have not been able to verify if VF or Smartwool uses any third-party certifications for their manufacturing processes. To meet our responsible manufacturing criteria, we require brands to be part of a third-party program that provides certification and/or annual audits of factories to ensure safe working conditions, fair wages, and a decreased environmental impact.

This criterion evaluates a brand's commitment to fair wages, safe working conditions, and reducing its environmental impact throughout the production process. Responsible manufacturing is most commonly demonstrated through certifications and membership in programs such as Fair Trade Certified, Fair Wear Foundation, Worldwide Responsible Accreditation of Production, and the Fair Labor Association. We also recognize brands that prioritize local production, such as those that manufacture primarily in the United States or Europe, to reduce carbon emissions, maintain better oversight of working conditions, and comply with strict social and environmental regulations.

Smartwool has committed to eliminating single-use plastic in its packaging by 2025 as a part of its Responsible Packaging Movement membership. The brand has not yet published an update on whether it has achieved this goal. VF Corporation, Smartwool’s parent company, is making efforts to increase the quantity of recycled materials in its packaging, but has not released data on Smartwool’s packaging statistics, specifically.

Packaging can add significant waste to an outdoor gear purchase and often ends up in landfills. Many brands are using recycled packaging and/or making efforts to reduce packaging altogether. For example, they may use a certain percentage of recycled cardboard or make efforts to use less plastic or paper across their packaging operation. In some cases, brands also use Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper products, which helps to ensure sustainable sourcing of forest materials.

When placing an order with Smartwool, customers can add a free return bag from the brand’s circularity program, Second Cut. As of 2024, Second Cut has collected 1.3 million socks for recycling. Second Cut also partners with Thred Up for a resale initiative, allowing customers to send in used Smartwool gear in exchange for a gift card.

Resale and recycling programs help keep outdoor gear in circulation for longer and out of landfills. The most common form is a trade-in program, where consumers can exchange items for store credit, which is then resold. Some brands accept products back for recycling at the end of their life, thereby reducing waste. Occasionally, some do both.

Smartwool’s parent company, VF Corporation, tracks its emissions. It has set a science-based target of reducing its absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 55% and Scope 3 emissions by 30% by 2030. As of 2024, VF Corporation had reduced its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 46% from its baseline year. VF Corporation’s Scope 3 emissions rose 17% above its baseline by 2023, meaning VF has made no net progress in reducing its Scope 3 emissions, which typically represent the largest share of a company’s overall footprint. It did not report on its Scope 3 emissions in 2024.

This criterion evaluates whether this brand measures its greenhouse gas emissions, along with its commitment to reduction and transparency in reporting. Typically, we require brands to follow established frameworks such as the Higg Index, Greenhouse Gas Protocol, or The Change Climate Project. Most companies use the widely recognized scope categorization system for measuring brand emissions. Those who earn the most points in this category have emissions reduction goals verified by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a global organization that helps companies set greenhouse gas reduction targets in line with the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C. To verify their goals through SBTi, companies undergo a rigorous assessment process and continual follow-up to ensure consistent progress towards achieving their targets.

VF Corporation produces an annual impact report covering its many subsidiary brands, which include Altra, Smartwool, The North Face, and Timberland. The report features emissions tracking data, material sourcing data, and other sustainability programs across its brands. However, it only explicitly mentions Smartwool a handful of times in the 2024 report.

An impact report is an important step toward transparency and accountability on the sustainability front. These reports vary in form but generally cover topics such as material sourcing, greenhouse gas emissions tracking, waste and water usage, supply chain analysis, and packaging efforts. For our sustainability ratings, we evaluate this criterion based on the depth and quality of the information provided in the report, and how often it is produced. Some brands produce their own impact report, while others are published by their parent company. In practice, we’ve found that reports produced by individual brands include more detailed information about their sustainability efforts.