FAQ / About WakaWaka

Is WakaWaka nonprofit or for-profit?

Neither and both. WakaWaka is a “social enterprise.” That means we balance profit and impact: a consumer brand that shares access to energy with those in need throughout the world.

In a legal sense, WakaWaka consists of both a foundation and a company. In developed economies, WakaWaka operates as a business and proceeds from products’ sales to empower the foundation and make solar lights and chargers available for free to communities affected by natural disasters and/or living off-grid.

Social venture, sustainable enterprise, benefit corporation… There are many ways to describe how WakaWaka works. We believe that the combination of business and aid is the most effective way to generate impact and we have committed ourselves to harnessing the power of business for social good.

Where are the WakaWakas made?

WakaWakas are designed and engineered in the Netherlands and manufactured in China. It’s an absolute priority for us to guarantee that our products are made in fair and sustainable conditions.

WakaWaka has a strict Code of Conduct for its suppliers and we see to it that all local regulations and laws are respected. We evaluate suppliers for their negative practices or regulatory non-compliance (e.g. no child labor) and also for their positive practices beyond what is required by regulations (environmentally-friendly manufacturing process; excellent labor practices, etc.) They are subjected to regular quality assurance reviews and audits.

Is WakaWaka patented? Or registered?

Yes, the heart of WakaWaka is well patented. The ‘Intivation Sunboost IC’ has a worldwide patent. WakaWaka is also a registered trademark and the design is globally protected by copyright under the Berne Convention.

What is solar power?

A part of the light emitted by the sun consists of the visible light that we can see with our eyes. Beyond this visible light, sunlight also contains components that we cannot see, for example ultraviolet (UV). Your WakaWaka charges with this UV-light.
Please note that daylight is not sunlight and therefore is not UV-light.

Depending on the season, the weather condition (fog, cloud), altitude, dust in the atmosphere, the distance from the equator and other variables, it can be more difficult to fully charge the WakaWaka with solar power. For example, an hour of sun in the winter gives less UV-light than an hour of sun in the summer. When it is not very sunny or when the WakaWaka is behind (double) glazing, the charging efficiency decreases by 70%.

What are the solar panels made from?

The solar cells in our WakaWaka products are produced by SunPower, one of the best solar companies in the world, with HQ in the US. The kind of solar panel we use is a Mono-crystalline solar panel with an efficiency of 22%, which means that 22% of all the energy that the solar panel absorbs is converted into electricity which is then stored in the lithium polymer battery.

What about our environmental impact?

From sourcing raw materials to end-of-life WakaWakas, we strive to reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible.

The WakaWaka housing is made out of 100% cadmium-free recycled PC-ABS. Our suppliers have extensive policies regarding humanitarian circumstances, environmental safety, health and ISO14001 certification.

During assembly, no pollutant adhesives, toxic glues or chemicals adhesives are used. Not only does this result in a healthier work environment, but this also means that at the end of the WakaWaka product life, it can easily be disassembled and recycled.

All our packaging is made out of FSC certified paper. For retail purposes, blister packs with recycled plastics are being used. We are working towards phasing these out altogether.

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