We often discuss the value of free time and the deep meaning of the essential moments we spend alone, with friends or with family. These reflections led me to a larger meditation on time itself. I wonder how much time we have left? How long will our children have? What future does our planet have, especially in the unsettling context of environmental news that constantly bombards us?

Within our team, sustainability is a constant topic of discussion. It is not uncommon for people outside the company to question us about our approach in this direction. Until now, we haven't addressed this topic publicly, but my team and I decided it was time to start talking openly about our commitment to sustainability.

When assessing our brand's environmental impact, we pay attention to detail, knowing that every small action adds up to a big impact. We have detailed below some steps, which we believe are important, that we have taken in order to have as little impact as possible on our part.

• Although we want to use as little plastic as possible, we face the challenge of protecting our products on the shelves and maintaining their visibility. We resort to recycled and recyclable plastics, a positive step, but we want to go even further, towards completely biodegradable options. In order to reduce the consumption of bags as much as possible, we have decided starting from 2023 that all plastic bags will be used only for internal storage and transport. In this way we reuse, we have reduced the consumption of plastic by 50%. The products we sell through our own network of Sofiaman stores and online are delivered to customers only in recycled paper and cardboard.
• We use natural fiber materials. We call them botanical fibers because they come from beech, bamboo, eucalyptus cellulose and are obtained with the help of an ecologically responsible production process. There are still some items that for the moment have no replacements, but we are still focusing on eliminating them as much as possible.
• All our accessories come from natural materials. Whether we are talking about buttons, cords or any other accessories, they are made of materials such as wood, shells, cotton, metal, etc.
• All the necessary packaging in our network of physical and online stores is made of recycled and biodegradable paper or cardboard.
• We try to buy everything we can from Romania in order to keep a carbon footprint as low as possible.
• We reduced printing on physical media as much as possible in all company departments, so we managed to reduce the consumption of paper and toner by 30%
• The remains of materials left over from the technological production processes are used to make small products, such as wallets, sleeping glasses, hair elastics and others. Unusable scraps are processed by an authorized processor and transformed into products needed in the field of construction.
• We do not burn or send to the landfill the stocks of goods

We are deeply aware that the road to sustainability is one in continuous evolution, full of challenges, but also of valuable opportunities. We take the time to stay abreast of the latest innovations and changes that can improve our green practices. We keep our eyes and minds open for every new discovery, every technological advance or innovative method that can help us fulfill our promise to reduce our ecological footprint. Every small step in this direction matters enormously to us, to our community and to the planet we share. Together, we can make a difference, building a future where sustainability becomes the norm, not the exception.

Thank you for being with us on this essential journey!

With love and green thoughts, Florin - Ceo Sofiaman