Nikwax Philosophy and Principles
Combining Emotion and Science
Most people will admit to an
emotional relationship with the environment. We appreciate natural beauty, we go out looking for it, and when we
find it we feel happy. But when we don't find it, and we find pollution and destruction instead, then we
inevitably feel sad. An emotional radar is a vital part of being human, and it is the greatest motivator for action
on environmental issues.
However, emotions alone do not always give us a detailed enough understanding. At Nikwax, like all people, we are
motivated by our emotions. But we also put an extremely high value on rational analysis. Without science we
wouldn't know what was causing climate change, we wouldn't understand poisonous chemicals, and we would
barely be aware of the number of species at risk of extinction. Similarly, without measurement and experimentation,
there's no way to know if the solutions we design are effective.
At Nikwax we make an effort to stay informed of the relevant science, ensuring a deeper understanding of the issues
and challenges. Just as importantly, whenever we implement a policy aimed at tackling one of these issues, we make
sure we have a way to measure its performance. By taking a rational approach we make sure that our actions have not
only an emotional payback, but also a genuine environmental benefit.
What does green really mean?
Being green is
the new big thing, but people have different understandings of what being 'green' is really about. We at
Nikwax want our customers to be clear about what we mean by 'green', and judge our actions accordingly. Here
are what we think are the most important issues.
Protecting consumers and the environment from dangerous chemicals
Any company which uses chemicals should be trying to make them as safe as possible. It is especially important for
aftercare products like ours which are intended for use in the home.
Chemical safety should broadly address four main issues:
• Is it safe for me now? - Will this poison me, blind me, burn me? In Europe and developed
world markets consumer legislation and labelling legislation provides fairly good protection.
• Is it safe for me in the long term? - Will this give me cancer? Will this give me chronic
health problems? Will this build up in my body – bio-accumulate? Will this affect my fertility? Will this stop
me from being able to fight off diseases? Consumer legislation is often weaker in this area.
• Is it safe for the environment now? - Will this kill fish, poison my dog, or stop plants
from growing? In developed countries environmental legislation should protect with warnings and laws against
pollution.
• Is it safe for the environment in the long term? - Will this cause global warming and
climate change? Will it degrade to chemicals that are persistent in the environment, and bio-accumulate? Will this
cause extinction? Reduce biodiversity? Legislation does not always help very much here. It takes an age for
legislation to become effective, and it is hard to police.
Click here to see our Restricted Substances list
Working to reduce our contribution to climate change
Climate change is real, it is principally caused by human beings, and it’s a big problem for both people and
ecosystems. Out of all human beings on the planet, we in the western world carry the greatest responsibility for the
problem, both historically and in the present day. Perversely, the wealth that we’ve accumulated by burning
fossil fuels makes us feel safe from the effects of climate change, dampening our motivation to act. The sad truth
is that the global poor are the least responsible, least powerful and yet most vulnerable to climate change. In our
estimation that is seriously wrong.
At Nikwax we believe that to be green you should be trying to do whatever you can to slow down climate change.
Measuring your greenhouse gas output is a start, but then you must take some kind of action. Investing in more
efficient technology, changing wasteful behaviour, choosing renewable energy and protecting carbon sinks through
conservation, are just a few examples of positive action. Campaigning, debating, educating, voting and protesting
can also help move things in the right direction. Click here to see a graph of
our CO2 emissions and energy use
Supporting conservation of natural habitat
In this most recent chapter of human history, many human beings have been behaving as if the natural world was an
optional extra; a nice thing to have, but fundamentally less important than money and material possessions.
However, this attitude fails to recognise that intact ecosystems still provide us with our most basic needs; water
regulation, clean air, food, climate regulation and protection from natural disasters. If we had to build and pay
for machines and infrastructure to perform all these ecosystem services, we would find ourselves very poor
indeed.
But humanity gets more from the natural world than just these tangible services, we also get something which is more
difficult to define. That feeling we get when we encounter the power, diversity and sheer beauty of life on this
planet, and realise that nothing we can build or design will ever compare. The realisation that this wonderful
process of evolution is the cause of our own creation and consciousness. The natural world is our history, our
present, and our future. It does more than just sustain our bodies, it feeds our minds and it feeds our souls. We
really, really, need to keep it. Click here to find out what we do about
conservation
Responsible approach to waste
Waste is ugly and it can be dangerous. Plastic waste, is a particular problem because of its resistance to
biodegradation. A lot of products and packaging end up in landfill sites, requiring significant amounts of land to
be gouged up and filled with rubbish. Furthermore, the energy and carbon cost of transporting waste for disposal and
even for recycling is significant.
At Nikwax we believe that to be green a business must be trying to do two things. Firstly, reduce the total amount
of packaging which goes into its products; and secondly, increase the use of recycled and recyclable materials in
its products, packaging and office supplies. Click here to see data on our
packaging efficiency
Campaigning for a change in wider society
Nikwax’s environmental conscience comes from its founder and owner Nick Brown. His personal convictions are
reflected in the company that he has built. Most other businesses have to answer to shareholders whose primary
reason for investing in the company is profit. As a result, we don’t believe that industries can be trusted to
regulate themselves on environmental issues. What is really needed is for voters to choose governments that are
willing to make tough decisions, tax the big polluters and incentivise efficiency and innovation in green
technology.
In order to move environmental responsibility higher on the political agenda, society at large has to be more aware
and better informed. At Nikwax we feel that encouraging open debate, greater exposure of environmental issues and
better public understanding are all vital parts of being green. Click here to go to our
Campaigning and Education page.