SUSTAINABILITY

    KERING EYEWEAR FOR A BETTER TOMORROW


    At Kering, each brand is pushed to go beyond its limits towards higher levels of economic, environmental, ethical and social performance. Kering has opened a new chapter in its journey to craft a more sustainable luxury by 2025. More than ever before, all brands will CARE about their impact on the planet, on climate change, on natural resources; COLLABORATE for the good of their employees, suppliers, clients; CREATE pioneering ideas to safeguard their rich heritage, and empower future generations.

    Kering Eyewear has constantly worked to improve its organization focusing on reducing consumption, empowering people and fostering innovation through effective solutions and resolutions at every level of its supply chain. From now on, all past, present and future sustainability initiatives developed by the company will be grouped under the platform Kering Eyewear for a Better Tomorrow, reaffirming its determination to deliver highly qualitative products with proven responsibility, durability and environmental credentials.

    CARE

    The first pillar of the Group’s sustainability strategy, Care, describes the steps to take to reduce environmental footprints and preserve the planet and its natural resources with innovative tools, new practices, original methodologies, and applying stringent standards. This objective is primarily enabled by the EP&L Report, which represents a key tool for measuring and quantifying the impact of each division and operation, then assigning a monetary value to the environmental footprint in order to intervene more promptly and proactively on the critical areas.

    The key role played by information and engagement is the driving force behind the most relevant milestone set by Kering Eyewear with the launch of the V.I.R.T.U.S. Project in 2018: a Verified, Integrated, Reliable, Trustworthy, Unique and Secure data exchange platform built using blockchain technology to allow measuring and quantifying the impact of all parties and processes throughout the entire manufacturing system.

    Another fundamental development for the company’s future is the transition from a linear to a circular economy approach, which involves radically rethinking traditional business models through opensource solutions and comprehensive collective actions. True to its visionary and disruptive mindset, Kering Eyewear considers this challenge as a great opportunity to shape new ways and new techniques to reinvent the use and reuse of materials, and extend their life cycle to relieve the pressure on natural resources and still deliver luxury products with a unique and long lasting design

    COLLABORATE

    The second pillar of the strategy, Collaborate, stems from the Group’s commitment to employees, suppliers and customers’ well-being. Convinced that close collaboration with its stakeholders ensures higher economic, environmental, ethical and social performances, Kering Eyewear has always placed people and professionals at the center of its universe.

    It is people who have created the success of Kering Eyewear and, for those people, the company undertakes to promote gender equality, salary equality and a stimulating and caring work environment every single day, where every employee and collaborator is encouraged to express their talent and reach their full potential.
    At Kering Eyewear, this corporate culture is strongly driven by the will to preserve craftsmanship and perpetuate the traditional know-how of the eyewear industry with its manufacturing districts of human resources and excellent expertise.

    In this sense, the company’s support of local communities, through charity and volunteer initiatives, and training new generations, through dedicated workshops and university lectures, are just a small part of a much broader picture which has lately and increasingly focused on the role of women and their empowerment in the industry. Working in synergy with Kering and the Kering Foundation programs, in recent years Kering Eyewear has organized multiple education sessions around the culture of parity and inclusion, against gender stereotypes and prejudices, intended to build a motivating and empathetic work environment where women can feel safe and free to express themselves.

    CREATE

    The third pillar of the strategy, Create, is an invitation to develop innovative alternatives, drive change to influence the entire industry and share ideas and results with an open source approach. Innovation and knowledge-sharing produces groundbreaking solutions and processes that contribute to the adoption of sustainable practices, fostering new talents and empowering imagination across generations.
    Innovation and imagination are the qualities in the company’s toolbox that best express its maximum potential and its ability to combine its human resources with the most advanced technology.

    Other innovative solutions adopted by Kering Eyewear feature the use of Eastman Acetate Renew, made thanks to Eastman's innovative Carbon Renewal Technology and the widespread integration of 39% bio-based nylon sun lenses in its collections.

    Concerning initiatives on packaging , Kering Eyewear has already achieved and aims to continue to achieve significant results such as the removal of PVC from all packaging components, the introduction of materials with recycled content for new case structures, the introduction of RPET certified microfiber for new cleaning cloths and case lining, the use of FSC certified paper for printed information included in the packaging, and finally the removal of plastic polybags used to protect eyewear cases or their replacement with folding boxes crafted from FSC certified paper.

    Re|Ace


    Starting from the Spring/Summer 2023, Kering Eyewear collections included for the first time Re|Ace material, a 100% recycled acetate derived from pre-consumer acetate scraps, directed at reintegrating what already exists into the production cycle while simultaneously maintaining elevated levels of style, quality and functionality.

    The use of Re|Ace favors a circular economy approach through the recovery of by-products that would otherwise be wasted. The preliminary study behind this choice shows that the production of 1 kg of Re|Ace reduces carbon emissions by at least 50% compared to the production of the same amount of conventional acetate. Furthermore, the recycling process allows for the creation of unique nuances and color combinations while ensuring the same properties of resistance and durability as traditional acetate. Produced exclusively for Kering Eyewear by one of its key partners, Re|Ace material and Re|Ace frames represent one of the cleverest actions undertaken by the Padua-based company and is tangible proof that positive change is possible when innovation and collaboration come into play.

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