Where Can I Find Eco-friendly Eyewear?
Until now, eyeglasses and sunglasses have been anything but eco-friendly. Indeed, these accessories are generally produced on the basis of unnatural materials and elements coming from different parts of the world. However, in recent years, more environmentally friendly glasses have appeared. Here is a small overview of the brands that are committed to the environment.
Recycled plastic waste
Among the consumer brands, Optic 2000 offers a collection of frames made from marine plastic waste.
If you choose Sea2see brand eyewear at Optic 2000, your purchase helps to recover the plastic waste that pollutes the oceans.
The same approach also exists in other countries. Thus, the Dutch NGO The Ocean Cleanup which offers pairs of glasses made from plastic waste collected in the Pacific.
All proceeds generated are donated to ocean cleanup. These glasses are sold for €199 and this amount allows to clean an area equivalent to 24 football fields in the ocean!
Glasses made from fishing nets
In France, young entrepreneurs are not short of ideas for recycling all kinds of waste.
Surprising as it may seem, discarded nylon fishing nets in ports are an excellent raw material for making eyeglasses.
Three Bretons called Thibault Uguen, Théo Desprez and Yann Louboutin have joined forces to found Fil & Fab.
They now sell 100% recycled fishing net polyamide granules to Armor Lux, which uses them to design its Armor-Lux x Acuitis sunglasses: another avenue to explore for those looking for more eco-friendly models!
Recycled models among young designers
If eco-design has long remained confidential in the optical sector, today, young French eyewear designers are also getting involved.
Since 2016, in Nancy, the eyewear optician Florent Baraban, who is passionate about skateboarding and snowboarding, had the good idea to recycle used boards to make glasses. He founded the brand 7PLIS (https://7plis.fr/).
At the other end of France, in Lunel in the Hérault, Quentin Passet recovers plastic bottles abandoned in streams and rivers to create glasses.
He founded the brand Eio which offers models that are both ecological and timeless (see link at the bottom of the page).
Since these glasses escape any fashion effect, you can keep them longer, which is even more environmentally friendly.
Indeed, the first ecogesture for people who need to correct their eyesight is to change their glasses less often. If necessary, it is better to change only the lenses or have a quality frame repaired.
Refurbished vintage models
As you can see, there are many ways to be an eco-responsible consumer in the optical industry.
In particular, you can :
- choose a timeless model that avoids changing frames every year according to fashion
- Choose frames made of recycled plastic to fight against ocean pollution
- choose second-hand vintage models.
Choosing second-hand glasses is another way to consume more sustainably by avoiding buying new.
On her website lunelvintage.com, Pauline Fur gives new life to from the 1950s and 1960s frames donated by individuals.
This beautiful eco-responsible initiative is for you if you are looking for glasses that you don't see everywhere!
Second-hand models are also the specialty of the optician Dingue de lunettes located in the 10th arrondissement of Paris.
Donate your old glasses
To conclude, don't let your old glasses gather dust in a drawer! You can donate them to associations so that they make people happy.
There are reportedly about 200 million people in the world who have vision problems but can't afford to buy glasses.
To give your old ones a second life, find out from your optician. Several major optical chains such as Krys, Optic 2000 or Atol collect their customers' old prescription glasses.
If your optician does not organize this kind of collection, you can also contact the association Lunettes sans frontières directly or drop off your old glasses at Krys stores.
