The North Face Sustainability - SustainabilityTracker.com

Sustainability Summary

Good On You - Good
Ethical Consumer - This information is locked, visit Ethical Consumer's website
B Corp - Not listed
Trustpilot - 1.4/5 (2,137 reviews)
This is an unclaimed profile. The North Face has not joined Sustainability Tracker to verify their sustainability credentials. We gathered what we could from public sources.

The North Face shows a mixed sustainability picture. Independent rating sites say it has made real progress on materials, circular design, packaging, and emissions targets, but they also note gaps in transparency and living wage coverage. Good On You rates the brand “Good” overall, while The Commons Earth rates it “Acceptable.” Consumer review sites show very weak service and product satisfaction, which does not directly measure sustainability but does affect the brand’s wider reputation. The brand is linked to recycled and certified materials, repair and take-back services, and science-based climate targets through its parent company VF Corp. Still, several sources say it does not publish enough detail on its full material mix, emissions data, or supplier pay.

Positive Sentiment Found
Independent sustainability reviewers give The North Face a fairly strong but not top-tier reputation. Good On You rates it “Good” overall, with a 4/5 Planet score, 3/5 People score, and 4/5 Animals score, saying it has solid water-use policies, circular design, and a formal animal welfare policy. The Commons Earth rates it “Acceptable” and points to repair services, a take-back program, and SBTi-approved emissions targets through VF Corp as real strengths. A separate review also says the brand has made progress on materials, packaging, and fair-labor policies, and notes a 61-70% score in the 2021 Fashion Transparency Index, which measures how much a brand discloses about its supply chain and worker protection.

Common Criticisms:
The main criticism across third-party sources is that The North Face still does not share enough detail. Good On You says it does not publish an aggregate breakdown of materials and is not taking enough steps to ensure a living wage for workers. The Commons Earth says its emissions reporting lacks full CO2e numbers by scope, which means the brand does not clearly show all of its climate pollution in one place. A review on Impakter also says the brand has a transparency problem and points to a 2014 sweatshop-labor accusation, followed by an apology from VF. Consumer review sites are also very negative, with Trustpilot scores of 1.4/5 from 2,137 reviews on the main site, 1.8/5 from 165 reviews in the Netherlands, and 1.3/5 from 346 reviews in the UK.

About The North Face

Status
Unverified

Website
Visit Website

The North Face Sustainability Actions

Uses repair and take-back services

The North Face offers a free repair program for items under warranty, which can help clothes and gear last longer instead of being thrown away. It also runs a take-back program called Renewed, where customers can return used items from the brand for resale, recycling, or donation. The Commons Earth says these steps support slower consumption and help keep products out of landfill. The brand also gives care instructions to help people extend the life of their items.

Works on circular design

The brand says it has built circular design ideas into the life cycle of its products, from design and materials to production and end of life. Circular design means making products so they can be used longer, repaired, reused, or recycled more easily. The Commons Earth notes that The North Face has a take-back system and repair support, which fit this approach. It also says the brand has a core evergreen collection, even though it still releases many new and limited items.

Uses some lower-impact materials

Good On You says The North Face uses some lower-impact materials, but it does not publish a full breakdown of all materials it uses. The Commons Earth says the brand reports using a mix of lower-emissions materials such as recycled wool, organic cotton, and regenerative rubber, along with higher-emissions materials like virgin polyester and nylon. It also notes that some materials are certified by RWS (Responsible Wool Standard) and LWG (Leather Working Group), which are labels for more responsible wool and leather sourcing.

12 13

Improves packaging and plastics

The North Face says it has worked to reduce packaging materials and cut virgin plastic use by moving toward recycled plastics. Good On You says the brand provides evidence of efforts to minimise packaging, and The Commons Earth says it has made progress on reducing virgin plastic in packaging, although reporting could be clearer. A separate review also says the brand aims to eliminate single-use plastic packaging by 2025 and make packaging more recyclable. These steps are meant to reduce waste and lower the impact of shipping and packaging.

Sets climate targets through VF Corp

The North Face’s parent company, VF Corp, has science-based targets, which are emissions goals approved under the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi, a group that checks if climate targets match what science says is needed). The Commons Earth says VF has medium and long-term targets for Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, which cover direct emissions, purchased energy, and supply-chain emissions. It also says VF was on track in its last progress report. The North Face is linked to these wider climate plans through its parent company.

See All (6)

The North Face Sustainability Commitments

2025

Remove single-use plastic packaging

The North Face has said it wants to eliminate single-use plastic packaging by 2025. It also says it is working to make packaging materials more recyclable. This is a future target, so it belongs in commitments rather than actions. The goal is to cut waste from shipping and product packaging.

2025

Use better main materials

The brand has set a goal for all primary materials, including polyester, cotton, and nylon, to be recycled, responsibly sourced, or regeneratively grown by 2025 for apparel. A separate review says this target also applies to footwear and equipment by 2030. Regenerative materials are grown in ways meant to help soil health and reduce harm.

2026

Expand renewable energy use

VF Corp, The North Face’s parent company, plans to expand renewable energy to 100% across owned or leased facilities by 2026. Renewable energy means power from sources like wind or solar instead of fossil fuels. This target sits at the parent-company level, but it affects the brand’s wider sustainability profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has The North Face published a sustainability report?

Confidence: High. As of July 2026, The North Face has published sustainability information on its own site, and its parent company VF Corp also publishes annual responsibility reporting. The Commons Earth points to a detailed VF annual report from 2023 and says The North Face has a prominent sustainability page covering materials, packaging, circularity, and emissions. However, the brand does not appear to publish every detail in one place, especially full emissions numbers by scope. Consumers who want more detail can check VF Corp’s responsibility reports and The North Face’s sustainability pages.. Sources: The Commons Earth, The North Face - https://brands.thecommons.earth/brand-rating/570/the-north-face, https://www.thenorthface.com/en-us/sustainability

What is The North Face's sustainability rating?

Confidence: High. As of July 2026, The North Face has different third-party sustainability ratings. Good On You rates it “Good” overall, with 4/5 for Planet, 3/5 for People, and 4/5 for Animals. The Commons Earth rates it “Acceptable.” These ratings mean the brand has made real progress on materials, circularity, and climate targets, but still has gaps in transparency and worker pay. The different scores show that reviewers weigh the evidence in different ways.. Sources: Good On You, The Commons Earth - https://directory.goodonyou.eco/brand/the-north-face, https://brands.thecommons.earth/brand-rating/570/the-north-face

What sustainability certifications does The North Face have?

Confidence: High. As of July 2026, third-party sources say The North Face uses several material and animal-welfare certifications. Good On You and The Commons Earth mention certified materials such as the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS, a label for more responsible wool) and Leather Working Group (LWG, a standard for leather production). A separate review says some products use the Responsible Down Standard, which checks animal welfare in down supply chains. The brand also appears to use Bluesign-certified fabrics in some cases, which means the material was made under stricter environmental and chemical rules.. Sources: Good On You, Sustainable Review, The Commons Earth - https://directory.goodonyou.eco/brand/the-north-face, https://sustainablereview.com/brand-ratings/the-north-face/, https://brands.thecommons.earth/brand-rating/570/the-north-face

What is The North Face's carbon footprint?

Confidence: Moderate. As of July 2026, The North Face has not publicly shared a full carbon footprint in the material provided here. The Commons Earth says VF Corp measures emissions internally but does not clearly publish full CO2e numbers by scope, which means the brand does not show all of its climate pollution in a simple public breakdown. It does, however, have SBTi-approved emissions targets through VF Corp and a goal to cut supply-chain emissions in half by 2030. Consumers who want more detail can look for VF Corp’s latest climate reporting.. Sources: The Commons Earth, The North Face - https://brands.thecommons.earth/brand-rating/570/the-north-face, https://www.thenorthface.com/en-us/about-us/responsibility/operations/climate-change

Is The North Face's packaging sustainable?

Confidence: High. As of July 2026, The North Face says it is working to reduce packaging waste and move away from virgin plastic. Independent sources say it has made progress by using more recycled plastics and by trying to make packaging more recyclable. A review also says the brand wants to eliminate single-use plastic packaging by 2025. That said, The Commons Earth says reporting could be clearer, so it is hard to judge the full impact of the packaging changes from public information alone.. Sources: The Commons Earth, Sustainable Review - https://brands.thecommons.earth/brand-rating/570/the-north-face, https://sustainablereview.com/brand-ratings/the-north-face/

Is The North Face ethical in its supply chain?

Confidence: High. As of July 2026, The North Face shows some supply-chain controls, but there are still concerns. Good On You says it audits some suppliers, has an external grievance channel, and has a code of conduct covering ILO principles, but it does not show evidence of living wages across most of the supply chain. The Commons Earth says VF’s code bans forced and child labor and allows collective bargaining. At the same time, a 2014 sweatshop-labor accusation and later criticism about transparency still shape the brand’s reputation. Consumers who care about labor issues may want to look for updated supplier and wage reporting.. Sources: Good On You, The Commons Earth, Impakter - https://directory.goodonyou.eco/brand/the-north-face, https://brands.thecommons.earth/brand-rating/570/the-north-face, https://impakter.com/sustainability-battle-of-brands-patagonia-vs-the-north-face/

What is The North Face doing about sustainability?

Confidence: High. As of July 2026, The North Face is working on several sustainability areas at once. It offers repairs and a take-back program, uses some recycled and certified materials, and says it is improving packaging. It also has climate targets through VF Corp, including a plan to cut supply-chain emissions by 2030 and expand renewable energy by 2026. At the same time, independent reviewers say the brand still needs better transparency on materials, emissions, and worker pay. The overall picture is progress, but not full disclosure.. Sources: The Commons Earth, Good On You, The North Face - https://brands.thecommons.earth/brand-rating/570/the-north-face, https://directory.goodonyou.eco/brand/the-north-face, https://www.thenorthface.com/en-us/sustainability

Sustainability Summary

The North Face Sustainability Profile

Sustainability Summary

About The North Face