We are not perfect.
No business or human being can claim to be.
But we always seek to do our best: to leave the lightest possible environmental footprint, to operate ethically and fairly, and to make improvements wherever and whenever we can.
That is our commitment to you.
↑
No business or human being can claim to be.
But we always seek to do our best: to leave the lightest possible environmental footprint, to operate ethically and fairly, and to make improvements wherever and whenever we can.
That is our commitment to you.
Our commitment to the planet.
Production and materials
We choose our suppliers carefully, and most are small artisan producers based in Italy and the Czech Republic.
We use sustainable, recycled and recyclable materials wherever possible. And we work with our partners to find new ways to minimise energy consumption, resource usage and wastage at every stage of the process. Recycling is a collective responsibility. When your AKI lamp reaches the end of its lifespan, please check and follow the rules for recycling in your area.
| MATERIALS | MADE IN | MADE FROM | RECYCLABLE |
| Glass | The Czech Republic | Soda – Potash mixture (we mainly use potash-lime glass*) |
Yes Glass can be recycled an infinite number of times. Wash your AKI lamp, get rid of any last drops of oil and you’re ready to recycle. |
| Metal cap / wick holder | Italy | Anodized aluminum | Yes Also aluminum can be recycled over and over again. Please, check the rules in your area for aluminum and other metals. |
| Wick | Italy | Organic cotton with a glass fibre (no lead, no nylon) |
No Not normally, as it features mixed materials and has been soaked in oil, but please check the rules in your area. |
| Cardboard boxes | Italy The Czech Republic |
FSC-certified recycled or mix pulp | Yes |
| Packing wrapping paper & tissue paper |
Italy | FSC-certified recycled paper, FSC-certified mix pulp and FSC-certified cellulose with natural dyes | Yes |
| Branded and marketing materials, notebooks | Austria | FSC-certified recycled paper produced from 100% recovered fibre. Manufactured without optical brightening agents and chlorine bleaching. |
Yes |
| Lamp oil | The Netherlands (feedstock) Italy (bottling) |
Purified and stable alkanes compounds that belong to the so-called paraffin class. ** Their high degree of purity means they conform fully to the European Regulation on Chemicals and are clean, odorless and sootless, providing the best standards for indoor lamp oil. | No Not normally. Please check the rules for recycling oil in your area. |
| Lamp oil bottles | The Netherlands Italy |
Recycled PET | No Not normally. Regulations require lamp-oil containers to have a black opaque colour, which prevents them from being recycled again as the sorting machinery in recycling plants cannot detect them. Some areas may have designated collection points for coloured plastics – please check. |
*Potash lime glass has a high melting point and hence
can withstand high thermal stresses. It is slightly denser than
soda-lime glass; it passes from the molten to the rigid state more
quickly, it is harder and more brilliant. It is also known as hard glass
or Bohemian glass.
Hard glass has good resistance towards acids and alkalis as compared to soda lime glass with high-temperature resistance and chemical stability.
**we are working to introduce palm oil (from certified plantation) or rapeseed oil for our lamps. But as they have a characteristic smell we need to test if they are suitable for interior use as sustainable alternatives to hydrocarbons derivates.
Hard glass has good resistance towards acids and alkalis as compared to soda lime glass with high-temperature resistance and chemical stability.
**we are working to introduce palm oil (from certified plantation) or rapeseed oil for our lamps. But as they have a characteristic smell we need to test if they are suitable for interior use as sustainable alternatives to hydrocarbons derivates.
Packaging, logistic and shipping
Our packaging is made from recycled materials without any special colourings, and we have designed it to be as compact and minimal as possible while also ensuring protection for the lamps inside.
AKI lamps are fragile and need to be packed with care. This requires a certain amount of packaging material. Nonetheless, we put a real effort into using recyclable materials (cardboard and paper filling) and when this not possible, we make sure to use these in a considered way (for example: we don’t put tape on bubble wrap to avoid it being discarded so that you can reuse it in your turn).
What’s more, we make it easy for our customers to do their bit by avoiding any components which aren’t widely recyclable.
We keep printed materials to a minimum, and when we do print we stick to a limited colour palette to reduce ink usage. Our website is hosted on green servers at data centres powered by renewable energy. We’re continuously looking for ways to minimize transport emissions in our supply chain. Our glass-maker is located in the North Bohemia region of the Czech Republic, close to raw materials, and we move finished stock to Italy by rail whenever possible. We will soon relocate our warehouse to North Bohemia to reduce goods handling and movement even further.
We choose couriers who are committed to improving their own sustainability and participate in DHL’s ‘GoGreen’ programme, paying tooffset the carbon emissions generated by our shipping and supporting green initiatives.
Pricing & Marketing
We believe in supporting local workers and artisan producers through fair payment and conditions. The handmade nature of our lamps and the skill involved in creating them are reflected in our pricing, and we avoid discounting or sales promotions that would impact our suppliers’ profit margins. Encouraging needless consumption also goes against our ethos, and our products are made to last. Although we may occasionally refresh our collection with new colours, we’re not driven by fleeting trends. Instead, we want to inspire our customers to find joy and light in their AKI lamps for years to come.