PARIS—In 2024, Silmo presented its Responsible Company Prize to two eyewear companies: Skans and Vanni. The prize is open to all Silmo exhibitors and aims to bring visibility to companies that are involved in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) while inspiring other companies and raising awareness. Judged by an independent panel of optical professionals, a designer and CSR experts (including journalists and Hysspo consultants), the prize takes three main areas into account:

1. Global and holistic. The prize evaluates companies as a whole and not just the CSR approach of a single product. These include responsible purchasing, product life cycle, labor conditions, solidarity and more. Each company is assessed according to 17 criteria, and the evaluation takes into account both existing commitments and future objectives.

2. Credible yet accessible. The prize is assessed based on a solid frame of reference and clear rating criteria, supported by recognized specialists in the field. With this in mind, it still remains attainable enough for all companies to participate; Silmo states that companies are not required to demonstrate CSR measures in every area, but instead actions that show awareness of issues and a strong determination to make progress.

3. Precise and tangible. Companies are asked to provide evidence indicators that can justify their claims, rather than just offer blanket CSR statements.

 
 
Italian eyewear brand Skans was chosen for the Responsible Company Prize for its minimalist approach aimed at slowing down the consumption of eyewear, Silmo stated. Skans frames are crafted with recycled stainless steel and handmade in Italy; in addition, according to Silmo, the brand offers timeless packaging to limit the need for redesigns, identical spare parts for all models and on-demand production to avoid overstocking. Skans also presented “an approach that takes into account the entire lifecycle of the frames,” Silmo writes.

In 2021, Vanni was the first Italian eyewear company to become a Società Benefit, the Italian equivalent of a Company with a Mission, Silmo said. 100 percent of Vanni staff have taken training on sustainable development, and employees rate the company’s CSR performance via a survey. In 2023 and 2024, Vanni carried out an internal reorganization guided by an organizational psychologist to define each employee’s role and responsibilities more clearly and respond to their needs.

The company also supports local organizations in Turin and Piedmont, and employed a Cradle to Gate life cycle assessment to limit the environmental impact of its products. Silmo wrote, “Vanni has demonstrated its ability to monitor its social, environmental and societal CSR performance in terms of figures and best practices.”