Nikwax is a company with sustainability at its heart. We have never used PFAS or aerosols in our products since we were founded in 1977, and we have offset our operational carbon emissions back to that date too. In 2022, we published Nikwax’s first Sustainability Report, outlining our goals for the next 3 years and we are proud to have achieved our scope 1 & 2 carbon emission goals a full 18-months earlier than scheduled. You can read our updated report here.
To mark World Earth Day on Monday 22nd April, we asked six Nikwax Partners to share their reflections on sustainability and what it means to them…
I see World Earth Day as an opportunity to appreciate the nature on my doorstep. It’s so easy to overlook these spaces as we see them every day, but there are thriving ecosystems all around us and Earth Day is a reminder of the role we play in the future of our ecosystems, both local and global. As temperatures increase, it isn’t just larger systems that are struggling to adapt, but also those at my local parks and beaches. Earth Day reminds me that the actions we take to protect our local environment do matter and do make a difference, no matter how big or small they may be.
Georgie McLoughlin, Sustainability Manager
Well to me it means a way of life – a way to exist alongside many other beings on the planet, who live off the planet. It also means enjoying the wonders of the world, but with profound respect, and contributing to the community.
Eric Lindemans, Head of Benelux Sales
World Earth Day is a great opportunity to think harder about our environment and how we live, which, for many of us, is not as sustainable as it could be. Whilst we all rely on and appreciate the inventions of industry that make our lives more comfortable, on World Earth Day we should switch off our gadgets and spend time in the great outdoors appreciating the beauty of nature and our planet.
Ewa Zydek, Customer Service Specialist, Germany
For me, sustainability boils down to habitually making small, thoughtful choices in daily life. From switching off unnecessary lights to turning the heating down; from using up leftovers to eating less meat; from re-using old bags and packaging to recycling correctly. Whilst adopting new habits can be hard and breaking them is all too easy, I have found the little and often approach at home helps my family and I to make sustainable choices on autopilot. I see World Earth Day as an opportunity to raise awareness of how collective small changes can make a big difference.
Lucy Renton, Head of Group Copy & Content
In addition to working in the Outdoor Industry, I spend a lot of my leisure time in nature. I’m a keen mountain biker and have ridden bikes in a few countries outside the UK; from France and Spain to the USA and Hawaii. I’ve also been lucky enough to visit many other countries around the world on holiday over the years and I find every new experience of the sights, sounds and smells of terrain, flora and fauna and people reinforces the belief that this is a beautiful and varied planet that we must do our best to protect for all the species that live on it.
Tom Redfern, Creative Director
To me, being sustainable is about us all making changes, big or small, that can benefit our natural world, and World Earth Day gives us a focus on the importance of protecting this planet. Being able to enjoy local woodland or lush green fields when walking my dog gives me daily exposure to varied habitats that contain a wealth of trees, plants, and wildlife – which all play important roles for the environment. I had the joy of visiting Iceland, a country that boasts one of the lowest carbon dioxide emissions rates within Europe, and what an inspiring country it is in terms of environmental focus! The outdoors gives us freedom away from technology, benefitting us both physically and mentally. Whether you pick up some litter when out on a walk, reuse or recycle goods, or plant wildflowers for bees to enjoy in your garden, you can help make a difference and, collectively, those little acts will add up to a lot of positive change.
Kim Paterson, Executive Assistant to the CEO