Our Path to Sustainability

Thomas Windischbauer: I can safely say the subject has been firmly rooted in our DNA since the company was founded in 1964. Our production site is located at the heart of a water conservation area, which is why utmost respect for the environment has been part of our corporate strategy from the very outset, as has the “Made in Austria” seal of quality. Our work on sustainability has become increasingly tangible over the years, culminating in our first sustainability report. The report reflects on what we’ve already achieved, as well as increasing our motivation to exceed our achievements. We’ve developed a CSR strategy too that we are now actively driving forward.

Thomas Windischbauer: The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) form the basis of our CSR strategy. Our aim is not just to reduce our impact on the environment, but also to come up with new, creative solutions. Out of the 17 possible fields of action, we’ve chosen 10 that match our sphere of activity. These encompass all three pillars—ecological, social and financial—and are equally distributed.
Sustainability is an integral part of the corporate structure at the Silhouette Group and is upheld by all three brands. CSR is therefore very much a part of my responsibility as the COO. It’s the only way to ensure that the topic is actually part of day-to-day business and is taken into consideration across all areas. We’ve also appointed a CSR Officer to ensure ongoing development of the strategy and its consistent implementation. They coordinate all CSR agendas and monitor successful outcomes.

Thomas Windischbauer: In 2022, we achieved a very special milestone in our CSR strategy: since September 2022, our eyewear production has been carbon-neutral with offsetting. A goal that many companies are setting for 2030. We’re one step ahead of the game here.
In recent years, we’ve been able to halve our carbon emissions too. We achieved this by, for example, generating our own power. We cover around 15% of our energy requirements with the help of solar panel systems. We also treat over 27,000 gallons of water every day, returning it to the production cycle several times, using two of our own wastewater treatment plants. This allows us to save 50% of the fresh water required to produce one pair of eyewear. Not forgetting our company grounds, which contribute to biodiversity at our locations too.
Our efforts haven’t gone unnoticed either: we’re the only European eyewear producer with EMAS certification, and we’re happy for our environmental performance to be visible and subject to scrutiny. EMAS is the European Commission’s Eco-Management and Audit Scheme. It promotes excellent, systematic environmental practices that far exceed legal requirements.