Vinga's Sustainable Vision/Philosophy
Our 'Creating A Difference' vision is the driver behind Vinga's sustainability efforts. Our decisions, the paths we take – they should make a difference. There are no shortcuts to sustainability. We're not saying it's easy, on the contrary: we are humbled by the challenge ahead.
To lay the foundation for these efforts, we've identified a few things we'll need to carry with us (and keep honing) along the way. Knowledge and partnerships are two of them. As we embark on our journey to develop a more sustainable business model, we are guided by three values: Together, Humble and Dedicated. Sustainability should be exciting, fun, interesting and educational.
Creating Vinga products is a never-ending endeavour: our Product Development team works to come up with long-term solutions and always takes its time. Because doing a thorough job during the development stage increases the chance that the final product will be more sustainable and durable.
We believe we should always have a ready answer to the question: Why does this product deserve to leave a mark on the planet?
As an importer, we have a responsibility to only offer products that we don't believe are a waste of the earth's resources. Which is probably one of our toughest challenges, because no one has yet manufactured a product with zero impact on the environment.
One way of making products more sustainable is opting for certified products. Vinga employs a handful of select product certifications – like the Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX and GOTS for textile and FSC for wood and paper – that help us trace exactly where a product comes from and what it's made of (to the extent that that's possible).
Simplify
One of the important questions we always ask ourselves as an importer is How can we produce this product in a simpler way? In practice, this means we analyse both the product as a whole and its different parts and packaging, to see if we can identify any features that aren't truly necessary. This lets us eliminate superfluous materials, colours, glue or coatings and skip unnecessary steps in the production process. The product is, quite literally, stripped down to its essence, leaving only those parts that serve a purpose and add value. Gift boxes are a good example. How can you create a lovely, pretty gift box that is a festive joy to open but that simultaneously uses as little colouring, glue, coatings and materials as possible?
Humble
We humbly admit that the road towards a more sustainable business model will be complex, difficult and, most likely, anything but straightforward. But that's exactly why the challenge appeals to us: imagine if we succeeded! It is that dream of making the world a better place that is our driving force. As with other challenges, we plan on honouring and encouraging those who dared to do things differently, who boldly made difficult decisions, who did their best, even if it their best didn't lead to the desired result.
Dedicated
Our goal is to reinvent 'the way things are done'. But going the extra mile in every situation, being brave enough to try out new solutions, daring to be different and take the road less travelling is only possible if we support each other and work together. That is why we work as a team – a team we'd love to include our partners and others in the sector in. Because it is only if we join forces that we will be able to successfully complete this fantastic journey.
