Winners of the CSE Award 2023: Karün.

For some years now, Mido has pursued the objectives of sustainability and company transparency. This commitment led to it being awarded ISO 20121:2012 certification, an international standard attesting to sustainable management of large events.

In fact, the Milan fair considers the reduction of environmental and social impact not only to be a simple necessity but a real duty; at the same time, MIDO also sees it as a duty to increase awareness by exhibitors, suppliers and visitors, sensitising and transforming them into sustainability ambassadors.

Among the activities introduced in this perspective, this year sees the arrival of the “zero” edition of the CSE AWARD - Certified Sustainable Eyewear 2023, an award created by MIDO in partnership with ANFAO and Certottica which assesses levels of sustainability in the international eyewear industry. An expert panel of judges evaluated the products that were entered in the contest, using specific criteria regarding their environmental and social impact and taking into account the entire life cycle of the product: recycling of materials, reduction of consumption in the manufacturing and distribution processes, enhancement of the supply chain, elimination of waste, level of recyclability, use of renewable energy sources, etc.

Six categories were judged: Sunglasses Europe, Sunglasses Rest of the World, Frames Europe, Frames Rest of the World, Cases Europe and Cases Rest of the World.

Today we meet the winner of the CSE Award Cases Rest of the World: Karün.

The spokesperson is Daniela Edwards, Head of the Brand.

What does mean MIDO for you?

It's the most prestigious event in the eyewear industry in which all significant players participate. For us as an independent brand from Patagonia, this is the space where we can show our brand and unique value proposition to buyers, suppliers, and retailers. Put ourselves on the industry map, learn new trends, and collaborate with others.

What does sustainability mean for your company?

It means thinking beyond the economic impact and putting people and nature at the center of decisions. At Karün we have been building for 10 years a radical approach to sustainability and transparency. We design with circularity principles, our value chain helps to restore natural ecosystems in one of the last virgin places left in the world, Patagonia, and we regenerate local economies where there is little access to diverse sources of income; while transparently communicating our impact, CO2 emissions and every step of the production journey with our Kaün Traceability System powered by blockchain technology.

Why did you decide to take part in the CSE award?

Because we wanted to prove through example that products can be competitive and desirable while being sustainable. We believe more brands should add this layer when creating products and if more brands are awarded and get visibility of their projects because of these sustainable aspirations, then there will be more incentives so the whole industry makes the shift our planet needs.

Can you describe your winning product?

We won the most sustainable case; it's a case handmade in Patagonia with organic and certified linen from Chile; died with onion peel, mate herb, and nail rust.