Going Green at Vallerret

We live for the winters and being able to comfortably capture winter magic with our lens to share with the world has fueled Vallerret Photography Gloves since our humble beginnings in 2014. We set out to design gloves to solve an all too common issue for photographers: freezing fingers. We are proud of the product we make and we have helped thousands of photographers thrive in some of the harshest winter conditions. But no matter what way you look at it, production and consumption are harmful to the planet, even when you’re trying to be conscientious. 

This year we are partnering with 1% for the Planet by donating 1% of our annual revenue to environmental nonprofits. We are excited to be making tangible strides to become a more sustainable business and as we finalize which nonprofits we’ll be directing our donation towards, we’re also taking a closer look at our company culture and instilling environmental-focused practices at the ground level. Here are some ways we are engaging in Corporate Social Responsibility. 

1. Digital workplace  

Valleret is proud to offer a digital workspace employing a workforce based all around the world. Our progressive digital office model allows our employees to work from home which means no long commutes to an office and less office space to be heated and lit.

All of our files are shared digitally nearly eliminating our need for printing and storing paper documents. We are lucky to live in the digital age where communicating and working together is easy even when you’re halfway around the globe from your teammates. 

2. Responsible labour practices 

We took great care in ensuring the factory we chose for manufacturing our gloves practised responsible fair labour. Employees are treated well and paid a living wage. We make it a point to visit our factory often to help build strong personal relationships and to ensure ethical labour practices are being upheld. 

4. Green transportation 

Even though we don’t have a Vallerret headquarters office, our team still needs to get around in their daily lives. Green transportation is important to us and when possible, our team prioritizes taking public transportation or riding a bike. Our co-founder Stine can even be spotted riding around Voss on her e-bike with her kiddos in tow.

Photo: Carl van den Boom

5. Renewable energy

Our founders, Carl and Stine, consciously started Vallerret Photography Gloves in Voss, Norway because of the lifestyle and progressive culture. In Norway, over 99% of electricity production comes from hydropower plants. We are proud to be rooted in a country that is a global leader in renewable energy. 

Photo Carl van den Boom

6. Invest in employee happiness

Happy employees work more efficiently and are more productive. Because Vallerret offers a digital workspace, our employees have the freedom to control their schedules. Let’s face it, 9-5 schedules simply don’t work for everyone.

Giving our employees the freedom of their schedule allows them to work when they’re at their most productive and by not having a physical office, office interruptions are minimized. Our employees are free to work from New Zealand to Bali to everywhere in between as long as they have an internet connection and can still get their work done. 

Photo: Carl van den Boom. Rider: Lukas Riedl

Wanna get involved?

We all have a role to play when it comes to protecting our planet and even as consumers we can make informed and calculated decisions that will help keep the planet healthier for longer. 

When you buy a pair of Vallerret Photography Gloves, you can be sure that your gloves give back to the environment through a 1% donation but there are more ways you can be environmentally friendly when shopping with us at Vallerret. Here are a few suggestions on how you can be a well-equipped and better-informed Vallerret consumer.

1. Hand wash your gloves
2. Keep them the far away from the tumble dryer. As the gloves have 100 % merino wool liners, the wool may shrink or twist in the tumble dryer if not handled properly, so don’t take any chances here.
3. If you’ve been out on a particularly damp photography mission, be sure to hang dry your gloves as soon as you get home to avoid material breakdown and mould.
4. Cut your fingernails. Sound silly? Hear us out! Just like how having long toenails will wear out your socks, having long fingernails will take a toll on your gloves. Our gloves are lined with merino liner which can be delicate. To get the most life out of your gloves, we recommend keeping your nails short to avoid wear and tear to the fingertips.

Photo by Muench Workshops

Reducing your carbon footprint

We know that shipping our product from country to country takes a toll on our environment. When choosing your glove size, please be sure to measure your hand and compare it to our sizing chart. We are happy to do sizing exchanges but please keep in mind every exchange results in more carbon emissions so if we can, we’d love to help get it right from the beginning. If you have any questions about the fit, please don’t hesitate to reach out at support@photogrpahygloves.com. 

We'd love to hear what steps you're taking to help look after the planet. From ditching fast fashion to reducing reliance on single-use plastic to working towards a meat-free diet! Drop us a comment below or send us an email about the issues that are important to you.

Photo by Audun Lie Dahl

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Winter is no joke! Keep warm and shop our range of Vallerret Photography Gloves.