Swarovski has partnered with consultancy Trucost, to place financial figures on the environmental impacts associated with the production of their crystal. Swarovski is one of only a handful of jewelry companies who have engaged Trucost to assess the environmental cost of its raw materials, honoring a commitment to conscious luxury and championing the sustainability of the industry.
The Trucost report analyzed the extraction and processing of 53 raw materials used in the production of Swarovski crystal in Austria. The analysis was based on 99.9% of annual raw material in tonnage across a series of 8 environmental impact categories, such as greenhouse gas emissions, ecotoxicity and water consumption. The approach to evaluating the environmental impacts of Swarovski crystal raw materials took into consideration the production process, excluding cutting and polishing and distribution.
The results showed that the overall natural capital cost of Swarovski crystal raw material is €2 per kilogram of crystal. This revealed that Swarovski crystal has a much lower environmental cost than other jewelry materials, including mined gold (€98,000 per kg), mined silver (€897 per kg) and mined diamonds (€6,400 per kg).
The Trucost report also revealed data that will enable Swarovski to make more informed decisions about use of materials. Out of the 53 raw materials analyzed, 3 stood out as having an environmental cost higher than €1m: hard granulated Zinc Oxide (€3.6m), Sodium Carbonate (€2.3m) and Copper (II) Oxide (€1m). Whilst options for substituting these higher impact materials are narrow, Swarovski will focus on increasing the efficiency in the processing of these materials and, in general, crystal production.
Regarding the 8 environmental impact categories, ecotoxicity is the main category, equivalent to €7.6m, followed by global warming, equivalent to €1.5m. While crystal waste is inert and harmless to the natural environment, Swarovski implements circular economy activity and encourages used and unused crystal to be upcycled.
Nadja Swarovski, Member of the Swarovski Executive Board, commented: “As a brand which has been committed to positive and responsible production for nearly 125 years, we are delighted to provide crystal clear transparency with the release of Trucost’s environmental impact assessment of our crystal raw materials. This landmark study shines a light on the overall natural capital cost of Swarovski crystal, and signals our position today as the most responsible and transparent crystal on the market.”
Richard Mattison, Chief Executive Officer, Trucost, commented: “This pioneering analysis for the jewelry sector recognizes the importance of transparency and the financial implications of different environmental issues. The analysis will support more informed decisions by providing robust and comprehensive data on the natural capital performance of different design options.”