From the moment Solios was created, we vowed to never compromise between innovation, elegance and sustainability. Our goal was simple: to prove that it is possible to create a sustainable accessory with an impeccable design. This aim hasn’t changed since the beginning.
Discover in Depth our Sustainable Materials
Select a material:
Meet Certified
Recycled Stainless Steel
The issue
Continuous improvement.
At first, our cases were made of 316L stainless steel, for its amazing properties, but we wanted to be even better and push further. That’s how we ended up wanting to opt for high quality recycled stainless steel, as it is aligned with our desire to always seek improvements.
The process
NOT a walk in the park
Since we were seeing recycled stainless steel everywhere, we thought it would be an easy transition to make.
At least, until we found out that there was a lot of fraud and miscommunication within the recycled steel industry.
The solution
How to they fraud.
When we started asking questions to metal suppliers and industry experts, we found out some manufacturers were lying about the sourcing of their stainless steel, telling brands it was recycled stainless steel when it wasn’t. Some suppliers would even buy new stainless steel, scrap it and then recycle it to brand their material as recycled stainless steel.
We got ours, and it’s certified
It is very hard to ensure you are getting real recycled stainless steel unless you certify it. After its sourcing certification, our metal was sent to laboratories where its quality could be validated.
That’s how a process we thought would take 4 months to complete turned into a year and half of head scratching!
Meet our
Eco vegan Leather
The issue
It all started in New Jersey
We met our very first potential supplier in New Jersey to see their vegan leather. Thankfully, they were honest enough to let us know that most vegan leathers are made of polyurethane, or worst, PVC. They then referred us to one of their German competitors, who was crafting vegan leather free of PU and PVC.
The process
Finding the perfect material
We contacted this new German supplier and were told no, immediately. That’s when we realized there was a long way to go in the realm of slow fashion. Few months later, we stumbled on a very innovative American supplier, with whom we would develop the first strap made of Sileather, free of PU and PVC.
The solution
We thought we had it
We then bought the vegan leather sheets and sent them for assembly. When traveling to meet the said assembler, we found out that they were using rubber as the inlay material. All the efforts in the name of sustainability were wasted. And since they didn’t want to do it in any other way, we terminated the relationship with this supplier and spent a few months finding another partner that would want to innovate by our side.
Cork saved the day
We finally found a great partner from Switzerland who was willing to try something completely new. At first the straps were filled with 100% recycled plastic, but they weren’t comfortable enough, and we still had to use this material we wanted to avoid so badly. We tried different materials with this partner, until they suggested cork, a truly amazing alternative. Solios finally had its cruelty-free leather strap completely free of PU and PVC.
Meet our award winning
eco packaging
The issue
Eco Packaging… made of plastic:
Our first packaging was made out of recycled cardboard, which we were very happy with. However, when we visited our supplier in Asia, we found out they were covering our packaging with plastic to create a little soft touch finish. “Something common in all industries”, we were told. This meant our packaging was no longer recyclable. It was back to the drawing board.
The process
Going local
Needless to say, we changed suppliers. Although our packaging cost went up 5 times, we decided to bring back the production to local suppliers here in Montreal. They initially created a packaging for each watch, which was made out of recycled and recyclable cardboard. Packaging is a big chunk of all the waste generated around the world: this is why we wanted to truly invest in ours to make it softer on the planet.
The solution
One size doesn't fit all.
The problem we then encountered was the versatility of our packaging. Since it was molded to each watch, we had too many packaging variations, which increased inventory and waste. We also weren’t allowed to use elastics or magnets to hold the watch in place, nor could we use a classic watch pillow as its filling is mostly made of plastic.
An Award Winning Packaging
It took several months to come up with the idea of replacing the classic watch pillow with a cork one. Our packaging is now proudly handmade in Montreal with 100% recycled and recyclable paper sourced from a local supplier in Quebec, powered by 100% renewable energy. Our packaging is FSC certified and has won an award for its innovative and thoughtful design.
Always looking at the bigger picture of sustainability.
Coloration has a footprint
Eco colloration
Chemical waste represents one of the largest problem in the fashion industry. Not only our ionic plating avoids chemical waste spilling in our groundwaters, but it is also 5 to 8 x more durable than traditional coloring.
What you don't know might hurt the planet
No single use plastic.
What we discovered is that even when asking for the most sustainable options during the production process, every individual piece produced will be transported in a single use plastic protection. Yet another "industry norm". That's why we decided to invest in recycled, reusable or repurposed packaging, to completely eliminate single use plastic from our supply chain.
Forget about a traditional watch pillow
Put a cork in it.
Affordable watch pillows are produced using polyester or nylon, primarily made from petroleum. No need to say this wasn't an option for us. After trying different alternatives, we decided that cork would be the ideal solution for an appealing presentation made from a sustainable material.
The Solar Times
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