Investing in Our Planet

At Austere, we recognize that nearly every aspect of our business impacts the environment, and we’re committed to doing our part to reduce and minimize that impact. 

To better focus on sustainability and ensure we implement it throughout every aspect of our company, we’ve updated our brand pillars to include Sustainability. 

Taking care of our planet goes well beyond simply recycling. At Austere, we view sustainability through every aspect of our company, and we’re proud to be the home theater accessory manufacturer at the forefront of this issue.

Our priority is to minimize environmental impact, maximize customer value, and work toward leading the industry to a more sustainable future. 

Our Products

We understand that designing lasting products is one of the most significant ways to reduce our impact. To this end, Austere products are made with high-quality materials for performance, durability, and longevity. Our Power units offer six times the protection of standard power strips, and we design our HDMI and Audio cables for years of peak performance. This is a win-win; you get more out of our products and less junk in landfills.

Additionally, instead of using stickers for information on our plastic bottled product, we found that printing directly on the plastic was a more sustainable solution. Ink is easily recycled, unlike label stickers that use gummy glue. The product information on Austere's new Clean & Protect bottles is printed directly on the plastic, allowing the see-through bottle to be fully recycled. 

Using sustainable methods and materials for our products is of the utmost importance. Investing in quality today minimizes the need to purchase replacement products and curtails future waste. The days of “planned obsolescence” are thankfully a thing of the past.

Our Packaging

Beyond our products, we prioritize packaging that delivers a memorable, sustainable, unboxing experience. Our boxes are intentionally designed to be repurposed and offer a non-plastic alternative to the industry standard blister packaging that is not guaranteed to be recycled.

More paper in packaging and less plastic is a worthy goal. But there's a reason plastic is so ubiquitous in packaging. It's strong, light, durable, and cheap. Unfortunately, it’s also expensive to recycle and even less recyclable with the addition of sticky labels, colored plastics, and printed elements used in most packaging. According to National Geographic, an astonishing 91% of plastic doesn't get recycled. Waste Management companies often opt for the landfill rather than the expense. 

Health Magazine's April 2022 issue notes that paper is the next most eco-friendly packaging. Paper, accounting for 14% of total trash generation, has the highest recycling rate of all packaging materials at 81%. This is why we chose paper packaging for all of our Austere products.

Our boxes are made sustainably with high-quality materials and a beautiful design that makes you want to repurpose them. The elegant quilt pattern and subtle metallic accents make them the perfect vessel for your next DIY project. Get creative by sending a loved one a special gift, organizing your office supplies, or using the box as an elegant jewelry organizer. 

Our team is continually looking for a superior packaging solution. Soon after we launched our first Austere products, we changed our packaging. We had an extra layer of recycled metallic cardboard in-box to give a stunning "revealing experience." We realized this was adding waste, so we pivoted.

Switching to a sustainable waste-reduction mindset is a significant challenge for the consumer electronics industry. But by demonstrating our collective willingness to lead the way and change for the better, we can help save the planet and solidify our loyalty among our sustainability-focused customers.

If your electronics are no longer usable, we recommend dropping them off at an electronics collection site for proper disposal. You can use the Consumer Technology Association's Recycle Locator to find a drop-off location near you.

If you still have usable electronics, donating them to an organization, program, or charity you support is a great way to prolong their life.

We’d love to hear from you. If you have any ideas on re-using Austere product boxes, post a photo on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and tag @BeAustere or email us at info@austere.com.

Follow us @beaustere to stay up to date with our sustainability initiatives.