Silhouette & Sustainability
“When we look back on our company’s history today, we can see that sustainability has always been an intuitive aspect of what we do. It has been a factor behind every decision we’ve made, and it continues to guide us throughout the years.”
Long-term vision by 3 generations
“We want to free glasses from their serious image and position them as an accessory instead.”
A quote from the founders of Silhouette (back then)
“We want to expand our company further, so that it is healthy and profitable when we hand it down to the next generation.”
A quote from the second generation of company owners (today)
“We want to be the forerunners in sustainable innovation, in harmony with environmental protection.”
A quote from the third generation of company owners (tomorrow)
Sutainable principles since 1964
As a family-owned business, Silhouette takes a long-term view, putting people and the planet first. Being the only European eyewear brand to be certified under the EU’s Eco-Management and Audits Scheme (EMAS), a voluntary set of high environmental protection standards, they lead the way in sustainable innovation and environmental protection within the eyewear industry. Their environmental policy focuses on striking the right balance between their ecological, social, and financial goals. It is based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
A carbon neutral production
Since September 2022, the company’s eyewear production is carbon neutral thanks to carbon reduction actions and offsetting projects. The full-service eyewear brand is continually working to slash CO2 emissions even further through its environmentally friendly policies. And the results speak for themselves: In just seven years, the company has cut its CO2 emissions in half, reducing them to around 2,000 tons last year.
The Silhouette brand is also Europe’s first and only eyewear brand with EMAS certification (the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme of the European Commission).
Sustainability in design
“Sustainability is the result of creative work. It’s about carefully examining every aspect of a form, functionality and production processes. You can see this in many different ways in our brands. Silhouette stands for minimalism and timelessness, both of which conserve resources.” – Roland Keplinger
Less is more
Silhouette International redefined the way they handle materials when they launched their legendary Titan Minimal Art model in 1999. Since then, they have been guided by the principle of “less is more” along with their approach of “reducing to the max.” The focus of their development strategy is to reduce material consumption for each pair of eyewear they produce.
It is no coincidence that Titan Minimal Art is the most iconic design associated with the Silhouette brand. This model was the first titanium eyewear design without screws nor hinges. It is the ultimate example of eyewear that is stripped to the minimum, while offering maximum functionality.
Sustainability in materials
Materials must meet specific requirements depending on the exact function they serve in the eyewear design, including lightness, haptic properties, precision to detail, elasticity and strength. Silhouette uses modern injection moulding techniques to meet these requirements. This has the positive side effect of significantly reducing waste materials when producing eyewear.
Suppliers
Silhouette International only selects suppliers whose raw materials meet their quality standards. Its suppliers must also share their basic philosophy and approach to comprehensive sustainability.
Titanium is their main raw material. It is sourced in Japan, because the special alloys used by Silhouette Eyewear are not available in Europe.
The polyamide granulate for SPX®+ is another key material for Silhouette’s production. It is sourced from a reputable Swiss manufacturer that adheres to a strict corporate strategy for environmental protection, safety, health and social responsibility.
Sustainability in production
Silhouette has been making eyewear in Austria since 1964. As a manufacturer of premium eyewear, Silhouette considers it is their duty to protect the environment and conserve their natural resources. This enables them to operate their production facility at full capacity, even though it is located in a water conservation area. Their internal policies go even further than the legal requirements, making them a forerunner in the field of sustainable innovation and environmental protection.
Conserving resources and protecting the environment
The company headquarters, also its primary production facility, is located in Austria, a country that does not operate any nuclear power plants. Silhouette supports this policy 100% and supplies its energy needs with a mix of CO2-free, sustainable, green power. It is therefore crucial for Silhouette to conserve resources and energy in order to maintain its headquarters in Linz.
To strengthen and reinforce its Austrian headquarters over the long term, Silhouette International opened a second production site in Trhové Sviny, Czech Republic. The decision to open a European cost-saving facility in the Czech Republic was a conscious one since it abides by the same high standards as Austria.