Commitment to sustainability
We have long had the planet and climate in mind when we think about production and how we conduct ourselves. It is at the heart of our ethos focused on the mountains and the sea.
Over the last few years, we have moved closer towards a more sustainable and circular model of operating, a long and challenging process and very much a mindset, where practically every decision taken needs to include this view.
Our sector is a source of innovation, and managing our supply chains and human resources wisely will help us build a more resilient business for the future. By working with our team members, brand partners, customers and communities, we can continue to do more with less by communicating about our positive business strategies.
Our sustainability efforts are focused on a close consideration of the social and environmental impact of our design and production, a diverse and inclusive workforce, energy efficiency, reduction of packaging and 100% recyclable packaging, and our pre-owned and take-back schemes, part of our wider role as a circular economy.
We will progress further, but are very pleased that our efforts were recognised by the Butterfly Mark in 2020. The Butterfly Mark is widely recognised as a guarantee of excellence in sustainability.
Circular Economy
Linde Werdelin is fundamentally a business that is not dependent on making more and more but rather making less and less, with exclusive limited series launches, a pre-owned platform and the ability to customise existing watches into something new.
As the first watch brand to do so, we launched an in-house pre-owned watch platform in 2016. At the time, we wanted to approach sustainability in the most direct way it could – to produce less overall and therefore encourage people to consume less. One in five watches we sell are customers’ pre owned serviced watches. By leading in pre-owned, we have taken responsibility for all the watches we have ever made since they started in 2006, and our platform is a strong illustration of a circular and climate-positive economy.
We have begun to focus less on traditional distribution channels; by primarily selling direct and by using technology, we avoid over- production. We have always limited the production of our series – trying to make 1 less than the demand – but we can now manage production 100%.
In 2020 we were awarded the Circular Economy Pioneer award by Positive Luxury.
Recycled Materials and Packaging
As far as possible we use reusable and recyclable materials in our product design and development process.
Each rubber watch strap is made of recycled natural kautschuk/rubber, and every watch fits every strap – ensuring each watch purchased can be worn in a variety of seasons and moods.
We have eliminated plastic packaging in our e-commerce shipments and replaced with lightweight and dye-free recycled paper to minimise the environmental impact in the production process. We produce minimal marketing materials, only when absolutely necessary (a 90% reduction).
In manufacturing new products, we are using recyclable and reusable materials. This includes recycled nylon. Coming from recovering nylon waste, (fabric scraps, fishing nets from the oceans and carpets) recycled nylon requires half the amount of steps compared to the conventional chemical process and reduced energy and water consumption.
We have thought carefully about the nature of single use items and have worked hard to develop multi-use products with the view of them being useful over the long term, e.g. watch boxes to travel with, or a dust bag for wet items when travelling serve multiple purposes for our end customer.
Conscious Design
We work with factories based in Switzerland, Italy, and Portugal. Despite our small size, we remain close to our suppliers whom we collaborate with towards sustainable production and use of material. Our strategy is to reduce the negative impact of production, marketing, and selling.
Diversity and Inclusion
We ensure that all employees are treated equally by offering a gender pay policy, with 60% of the team female. Our entire team is on a flexible work schedule, which is at the heart of the company. Team members are paid more than minimum wage and we currently only employ in the UK.
Energy efficiency
We have reduced air travel by 90% through selling direct and reduced office space by 100%. We have converted part of a house into a mixed use space where a small team work and freelancers can come and go, thereby minimising unused space and the energy consumption that comes with it.