CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FAQS - Click a question to display the answer.
GENERAL
What is KEEN’s commitment to social and environmental responsibility?
Our commitment focuses on the Environment, Community and Growth. Special emphasis is placed on sustainable product development, strategic sourcing options, impactful community outreach, and a progressive work environment.
Does KEEN report on its corporate social responsibility activities?
Yes, KEEN reports on its corporate social responsibility activities. We call it the KEEN Report Card.
Where are KEEN shoes, bags and socks made?
KEEN shoes and bags are made in contract manufacturing facilities in Guangdong Province, Southern China. We make our socks in North Carolina. We are in constant contact with all our contract manufacturing partners, and visit them regularly.
Why are KEEN shoes and bags made in China?
We make our shoes and bags in China for four simple reasons: quality work and assembly; on-time and reliable deliveries; contract manufacturing facilities that adhere to KEEN’s workplace code of conduct; and competitive prices.
Where do I go for more information?
COMMUNITY
Does KEEN have a sourcing policy or workplace code of conduct?
Yes, we have a workplace code of conduct to help us ensure that KEEN contract manufacturing facilities meet our labor and environmental standards. You can read the KEEN Code of Conduct here.
Who ensures that fair labor standards are met?
KEEN embraces independent monitoring as a key part of our broader commitment to social responsibility. We’ve joined the Fair Labor Association as a Participating Company. The Fair Labor Association is a nonprofit organization committed to protecting workers’ rights and improving working conditions worldwide.
What are factory workers paid who make KEEN products?
KEEN works with contract manufacturing facilities who share a commitment to the betterment of wage and benefit levels that address the basic needs of workers. We find achieving our expectations in this area challenging. There are no perfect workplaces. KEEN is committed to the process of continual improvements and being transparent about the issues we face.
ENVIRONMENT
Are KEEN products green and sustainable?
This is a focus for KEEN with several initiatives. We are reducing and eliminating materials containing toxins. We are reducing the amount of waste in manufacturing our products. We are harvesting our waste stream for use in new shoes and bags. Lastly, we are using materials with sustainable attributes whenever possible.
Is KEEN monitoring its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)?
Yes, we monitor our GHG emissions. Our goal is to look beyond carbon neutrality and focus our efforts on reducing our overall GHG footprint through product innovation, use of recycled and/or natural materials and a focus on efficiency in production and transportation.
Does KEEN make its products as part of a closed loop process?
Is it possible for KEEN and the products we offer to be “green”? What is “green”? Green can sometimes be grey. Our current options present complex choices, but our long-term goal is clear: KEEN, along with the rest of society, needs to embrace and move toward a model of product stewardship where materials circulate in closed loop cycles. A “closed loop cycle” reuses or recycles everything used to make a product.
Such lofty ideals are often elusive, but we’ve established four key initiatives as guideposts on this journey, which focus on 1) reducing and mitigating our waste, 2) integrating more materials with sustainable attributes into our products, 3) monitoring and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, and 4) optimizing our transportation of products. These initiatives will give us a better understanding of our environmental footprint – the resources used to produce and deliver our products to the end consumer. This will give us a map for the uncertain terrain ahead as we seek to minimize our impact.
GROWTH
What is KEEN doing to give back to communities around the world?
KEEN established a giving program in 2005 called Hybrid.Care. We strive to be a company with a conscience by making a positive difference, giving back to the greater community and caring for the environment we share and depend on.
How much money and in-kind donations does KEEN give each year?
Each year we target close to 1% of our profits to a variety of non-profit organizations, community groups and volunteers around the world that reflect our shared philosophy of caring, conscience and sustainability. Learn more here.
Where do KEEN’s charitable donations go?
We donate money and time to a variety of social and environmental causes. You can learn more about the many non-profit organizations that we support by visiting Hybrid.Care on our website, or learn more about our efforts in the 2008 earthquake-devastated city of Mianzhu here.
KEEN REPORT CARD
What is the KEEN Report Card?
The KEEN Report Card documents our journey toward social and environmental best practices, helping us link our vision and values with our day-to-day actions. The KEEN Report Card complies with the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative, whose sustainability reporting framework is emerging as the global standard.
How can I get a copy of the KEEN Report Card?
Can I access past issues of reports?
The very first KEEN Report Card was completed in December of 2008. We will continue to provide future report cards every two years. Important updates will be periodically posted on our website.