A concrete step toward a zero-emissions optical industry, where innovation drives the energy transition.
The Austrian premium eyewear manufacturer is in the process of completely phasing out fossil natural gas at its production site in Linz. By electrifying key manufacturing and finishing processes, the company will produce its frames entirely without natural gas emissions starting from April 2026. This initiative will eliminate hundreds of megawatt-hours of natural gas annually and reduce CO₂ emissions by over 100 tonnes.
On the occasion of Earth Day, the family-owned company is sending a clear message: the optical industry, too, can make a tangible contribution to the transition toward sustainability.
“Decarbonizing industry is one of the defining challenges of our time. By fully eliminating natural gas at our Linz production site, we are demonstrating that sustainable manufacturing is achievable even in a complex industrial environment such as the optical industry. Our ambition is to actively contribute to this transformation, both as pioneers of innovation and as a benchmark for the sector,” said Thomas Windischbauer, COO of Silhouette Group.
A significant milestone was already achieved in 2025: in the surface treatment department, the exhaust air purification system was converted from a gas-based post-combustion process to a fully electric solution powered exclusively by renewable energy, much of it generated in-house. This measure results in annual savings of approximately 363 megawatt-hours of natural gas and a reduction of around 85 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.
The final step is planned for 2026: converting the last warehouse still heated by gas will save an additional 70 megawatt-hours of natural gas and approximately 18 tonnes of CO₂ per year.
On Earth Day 2026, celebrated under the theme “Our Power, Our Planet,” Silhouette Group is sending a clear and tangible signal in support of industrial transformation: sustainability begins at the core of production processes, where frames take shape.
With this approach, the company demonstrates that change goes beyond strategies and statements, taking concrete form in daily industrial operations. What is often perceived as abstract in the sustainability debate is thus translated into measurable results and tangible actions.
For Silhouette Group, this means that fossil gas is being progressively eliminated from eyewear production processes.
Photo courtesy of Silhouette Group