At SWAROVSKI OPTIK, we try to keep our ecological footprint as small as possible. As a visionary company, we see sustainable management as a matter of course - and as an investment in the future.
We spare no expense or effort to reduce our ecological footprint, to reduce our environmental impact or - even better - to avoid it in the first place. We pay particular attention to the following levers:
Using renewable energy sources and reducing electricity consumption
Ensure heating and cooling supply via a closed-loop system
Promote future-oriented mobility
Use sustainable packaging and
Produce locally wherever possible, not only our long-range optics themselves, but also the accessories (bags)
1,300 PV modules on an area of 2,200 m2 produce as much energy as 120 households consume annually.
We use the heat or cold generated during certain production steps for the general heating or cooling system. A special, highly efficient closed-loop system is used for this purpose. In Austria, we were the first company to use this technology. As a result, we save CO₂ - as much as 85 cars would emit in a year.
How can we reduce the number of daily car commutes made by our employees? By offering our own company buses. These bring up to 80 people to the company headquarters every day. We also offer a flexible home office arrangement. Thanks to working from home, additional miles are saved.
E-Mobility is a top priority for us. The entire company fleet is currently being converted to electric or hybrid drive. At the headquarters in Absam, up to 17 electric cars can be charged simultaneously, and four charging stations for e-bikes are also available.
The packaging of our long-range optics is climate-neutral - and has been since 2015. Also our accessories have also been delivered only in climate-neutral packaging since 2018. The cardboard we use is produced just three kilometers (about two miles) away from our company headquarters. The high-quality natural paper is produced especially for us at lake Tegernsee. We do not use the customary foam packaging inserts. Instead, we use custom-made cardboard inserts. Since we omit the additional protective film, recycling is possible without any problems.
Thanks to our own packaging machine, all SWAROVSKI OPTIK products can be packed extremely sturdily and securely in customized outer boxes. The result: We save filling material, valuable storage space, and CO₂ during shipping.
We also keep sustainability in mind when designing and manufacturing our product bags. For many, the main material as well as the lining are made of 100 percent recycled polyester (rPET), which in turn is fully recyclable. Since the company was founded in 1949, SWAROVSKI OPTIK has been committed to "Made in Tyrol, Austria." That is why, in addition to our long-range optics themselves, numerous accessories are also manufactured in Austria. For example, the material for our storage bag and our cooking apron is manufactured in a small, traditional weaving mill in Austria.
To reduce electricity consumption, all lighting is gradually being converted to LEDs. Already, 70 percent of the interiors and all parking spaces are illuminated by LEDs.