“We strive to make every adventure more sustainable with efficient products that have as little climate impact as possible. Products that last, are easy to repair and can be recycled at the end of their life.” - Staffan Till, Sustainability Manager, Silva
DESIGN & MATERIAL
PRODUCTS THAT LAST
Quality, durability and reliability have been guiding principles for Silva’s products ever since 1933. That was when the brothers Björn, Alvar and Arvid Kjellström invented the first liquid-filled compass – an innovation that laid the foundation for reliable, long-lasting outdoor products.
Built to last
Today, sustainability is a natural part of how we work. The largest share of our products’ emissions comes from production. The second-largest comes from how the products are used. That is why we work to reduce our footprint in every step – through smart design, conscious material choices and options for service and repair.
We design for a long life outdoors – headlamps, compasses, vests and belts should be used for many years and repaired rather than replaced.
DESIGN
Designed with sustainability in mind
Most of a product’s environmental impact is determined in the design phase. That is why we take responsibility from the very beginning – developing outdoor products that last longer, can be repaired and reused. When they finally reach the end of their life, they should be recyclable and become part of a new loop.
“Our ambition is that all our products should be reusable or recyclable by 2030.” - Staffan Till, Sustainability Manager, Silva
Guidelines and policies
Sustainability is about thinking all the way through – from design and material choices to use and recycling. We develop guidelines and processes that steer us towards lower climate impact and smarter choices at every step.
This includes:
- Transitioning our headlamp range to models with rechargeable batteries instead of single-use batteries.
- Working with modular design. For example, several Smini products can be disassembled and recycled by material.
- Designing for repair and service, so that parts like the lamp, lamp head and other components can be replaced when needed.
- Reviewing packaging to reduce both size and weight.
- Making conscious choices with recycling in mind, for example using only one type of plastic in headlamps.
Steps towards circularity
One of our goals is to increase the share of recycled materials in our products. For example, the lamp heads of Smini products are made from recycled polycarbonate. We have also launched the Glow and Seek series, which are likewise produced from recycled plastic.
Product development at the core
Product development is at the heart of everything we do. We always start by listening to users – from passionate runners, elite athletes and adventure seekers to professionals who rely on our products in their work.
Thanks to close collaboration with key suppliers, we can combine quality with innovative design. This enables us to create products that are lighter, more functional and built to last.
We design all our products ourselves and manufacture them in close collaboration with carefully selected factories, mainly in Asia.
Materials
Carefully chosen materials
The materials we use are crucial for product durability, quality and lifespan. It is important that we find materials that both perform optimally and have as low a climate footprint as possible. The materials used in Silva’s product range account for 18% of our total climate footprint. Energy and electricity used in production account for 3–4%.
Moving towards lower-impact materials
We have introduced new design guidelines and policies that help steer us towards materials with lower impact. This includes increasing the share of recycled and bio-based materials. Today, around 2.5% of the plastics we use are bio-based or recycled. We are working hard to increase that share.
Some examples:
- The Smini headlamp is largely made from recycled polycarbonate.
- From 2025 onwards, several headlamps made from recycled plastic will be launched, including the Glow and Seek series.
Conscious choices
Conscious choices also include changing how we work with batteries and the number of plastic types in our products. We no longer sell alkaline single-use batteries and instead offer rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. We are also reducing the number of different plastics used in our headlamps to improve recyclability. Not all lamps are yet made from a single plastic (monomaterial) – but that is our ambition going forward.
Packaging for the future
We are running an ongoing project to review packaging in order to reduce both size and weight. This in turn will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
At the same time, we are improving our data collection for packaging materials. Better data helps us make more informed decisions and further reduce the footprint from packaging.
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