Top 10 Ways How Your Sunglasses Can Be Eco-Friendly

To all Shades and Earth lovers...

Are you a shades- or fashion lover with an even bigger love for our planet? That means you're probably ready to take the next step. Sustainable, eco-friendly fashion has become a big thing in the last couple of years. Including sustainable eyewear. And luckily the peak is not nearly in sight.

Which is a true blessing because the need to improve our consumer ways continues to grow as well. To put it differently: the need has always been there and growing. But what has finally changed is our mindset and the fact that we have become more conscious about our impact. The global market is dominated by a few corporate giants that continue to use primarily plastic and fossil-fuel based acetate. But this article focuses on some sustainable pioneers leading the eco-friendly way!

'The One' true sustainable solution?

So, it there such a thing as "The One, true sustainable solution? Many brands and companies claim that they have the ultimate sustainable shades solution. They often focus on one specific thing and do that really well. For instance, they use recycled material. Or they focus on working with local materials, to limit transport and thus CO2 emissions. All really good initiatives in themselves.

But now that different companies have found different ways to be more sustainable, it becomes interesting to see in what ways your sunnies can be sustainable. From sustainable new materials invented, to existing but recycled. And from conscious ways of production to transporting and packaging them.

Now that different companies have found different ways to be more sustainable, it becomes interesting to see in what ways your sunglasses can be sustainable. From sustainable new materials, to existing but recycled. And from conscious ways of production to transporting and packaging them.

Sustainable, eco-friendly alternatives

Sunglasses can be made from different materials. And one type of material is more sustainable than another. Many people associate sunglasses with the injection plastic models that you see everyhere since the 80s. These are cheap to make and difficult to break, which makes them perfect for cost-focused manufacturers. But not at all sustainable. These are the traditional products with their roots in a bygone time. A time when we believed our Earth could be harvested without consequences. You will not find them in this list. But what you will find here might surprise you.

Here are the Top 10 ways how your sunglasses can be sustainable. With a top 10 of eco-friendly shades brands leading the way.

Another cool bamboo and wood-based sunglasses company is Grown Eyewear. Their products are made from organic and renewable materials. And they're free from toxic elements. Each pair looks different because of the material choice, with its one-of-a-kind grain pattern. The products have a very natural design. Inspired by a desire to make a meaningful impact on the planet. Grown eyewear supports WIRES, an Australian wildlife rescue organization.

Repurposed materials, like skateboard decks and vinyl records 

Other examples of  repurposed materials are wood from old surf boards, repurposed skateboard decks or even old vinyl records, changed into really cool shades. Really nice and creative reuse!

Below are three examples of sunglasses made from recycled materials.

Acetate, or to be more complete "cellulose acetate", is made from a cellulose-based resin. The cellulose is mostly made from wood pulp, as a by-product from wood production. Or from cotton production residu. sounds natural and really good, right?

100% natural materials or not?

Now, there are two reasons why some people are critical about calling acetate "sustainable".  The first is that often a chemical component is added to harden and/or color the material. The second problem is that in the original production of the cotton-based cellulose is not very sustainable. They often use enormous amounts of not-so-sustainable pesticides.

Below are three examples of sunglasses made from natural-based (bio-based) materials

Acetate vs Eco-Acetate and Ecotate™

There is a variant that is unofficially called eco-acetate, or our very own Ecotate™. So in case you're interested in this style, make sure you ask for clarity about where the material is coming from.

Here are three examples of sustainable companies, with eco-based sunglasses:

Eco-eyewear is a range of MODO, USA. The company was founded 30 years ago. In 2009 they intruduced their sustainable range of products. Eco is about expressing yourself and feeling good in your own skin. But more importantly, they make beautiful sustainable eyewear. Both sunglasses and optical. Their biobased frames are partly made from a material made from castor seeds. Note that they also have a partially recycled range, that is made from 95% recycled material.

 Proof makes different types of sustainable eyewear. They make products from sustainably-sourced wood, cotton-based acetate, recycled aluminum, and repurposed skateboard decks. So just like with Eco-Eyewear and Solo, they desrve to be in at least one other category in this article. Proof stands firm on three principles: heritage, sustainability, and giving back. They partner with Nature Conservancy in Idaho.

 A London based online store selling eco-friendly sunglasses and spectacles. They make frames from biodegradable plant-based acetate and bamboo. However, they also have another range that stands out and might not fit the "sustainable" label directly. They make frames from what they call "Ethically sourced Indian buffalo horn". This is a material that resembles acetate in look and feel. Unique? Yes! Sustainable and ethical? Maybe! They do however, ship their products carbon-neutral from their manufacturing facility in Manchester.