WRITER April Petrusma

We are seeing a growing demand for sustainable and eco-friendly options in all areas of eyewear, driven by consumers’ increasing awareness of environmental issues.

As a result, frame and lens manufacturers are introducing ‘green’ eyewear options that are not only stylish but also recyclable, sustainable, and/or environmentally friendly. From frames made of recycled or biodegradable materials to plant-based lenses, the intersection of vision care and sustainability is revolutionising the Australian eyewear market.

THE NEED FOR GREEN

Opticycle – Australia’s only complete recycling solution for used and empty contact lens cases and eyeglasses – estimates that close to three million pairs of discarded prescription glasses are added to landfill waste in Australia every year. Opticycle’s Jason Rijnbeek explained that recycling traditional eyewear is not an easy feat.

“The design and multitude of materials used in glasses make them notoriously difficult to recycle,” he said. “Glasses are a highly engineered product, which makes extracting the component materials difficult to achieve.”

He said Opticycle now has the specialised technology that is needed to separate the varied materials properly and recycled lenses and frames are being used to produce new products like unique benchtop sheets and sustainable building materials.

While eyewear waste recycling programs like this signify progress, unfortunately they alone cannot fully address the broader environmental issues. Consequently, the optical industry is now seeing innovation extend towards production methods, with manufacturers adopting techniques to reduce energy usage and waste generation. The emergence of the green eyewear movement is reshaping decision making for manufacturers, eye care professionals, and consumers alike.

At eyewear company Dresden Vision, Rowan Smith said there was a “core belief in delivering a simple and sustainable product”.

“Our alignment with the eco-friendly category stems from our unwavering commitment to sustainability in both materials and manufacturing processes. By utilising recycled plastics and bio-based nylon, we minimise environmental impact.”

DEMYSTIFYING THE JARGON

As industry professionals, understanding the evolving eco-friendly landscape in eyewear is crucial. Given the different interpretations of ‘green’ eyewear, understanding the relevant buzzwords and keeping well informed on new products will help align your stock with your optometry practice’s values and your target demographic’s preferences. So, what are the key terms you need to understand?

SUSTAINABLE

The United Nations defines the term sustainable as being able to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. As such, it has become a societal expectation that companies adopt some form of sustainable policies and actions to protect our future.

As a distributor and wholesaler of some of the world’s best-known brands in the eyewear market, Safilo aims to lead by example. It has introduced a range of sustainable eyewear collections across its portfolio, with frames, lenses, and packaging produced from recycled and bio-based materials.

Sara Al-Alami from Safilo Australia said the Polaroid brand has been “particularly focussed on sustainability, with all optical frames made entirely from sustainable materials, as well as the majority of sunglass offerings”.

“On the product side, more than 25% of our new collections will be made from certified sustainable materials by 2025,” she said.

At CR Labs, pushing sustainable boundaries is an essential part of its innovative core. Not only has CR Labs taken numerous steps to reduce its environmental footprint in its dayto-day processes and waste management, but it is also responsible for producing Australia’s first groundbreaking biomass optical lens material, ECO6.

The eco-friendly lens is manufactured using biomass plant-based products and is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 14% compared with conventional petroleum-based products.

BIO ACETATE

Bio acetate is an eco-friendly material derived from renewable resources like wood pulp, and cotton. Unlike traditional acetates, which rely heavily on harmful fossil fuel based plasticisers, bio acetate is made using natural alternatives.

In 2023 Eyes Right Optical, launched ‘Project Green’, a luxury eyewear collection featuring biodegradable demo lenses and packaging and more importantly, produced from high quality Mazzucchelli bio acetates. According to Mazzucchelli, the use of traditional petroleum derived plasticisers “has been replaced with a plasticising solution of vegetable origin”, therefore resulting in an entirely plant-based material.

BIODEGRADABLE

Biodegradability is defined as the ability for a material to be broken down naturally by the organisms in an ecosystem. In the optical industry, this long-awaited term is now a reality, thanks to the high bio-based content of bio acetate, making it a declared biodegradable material. This does not mean, however, that bio acetate frames can be put straight into a home compost bin; it is biodegradable under industrial composting conditions in 115 days.

Numerous manufacturers and suppliers are making more responsible biodegradable choices in other areas too. VMD Eyewear as one example, now uses demo lenses for its Bill Bass, Dirty Dog, and Evoque optical ranges that are not only made from recycled materials but are also biodegradable.

ENVIRONMENTALLY /ECO-FRIENDLY

Environmentally friendly or eco-friendly are broad terms that in general mean a company is being more thoughtful towards it environmental impact. Take Bollé Safety as an example; in a statement this year Bollé Safety said it planned to introduce eco-friendly versions for 50% of top sellers by year-end, and 100% of new products. It is also seeking new material alternatives like recycled polycarbonate for lenses and recycled polyamide for frames with an aim to reduce CO2 emissions.

ZEISS is also currently emphasising the importance of reducing its carbon footprint in ZEISS Sunlens polyamide production by improving manufacturing facilities and using renewable resources for sustainable certified lenses.

Hoya’s One Vision program aims for 100% renewable electricity by 2040, with a 60% target by 2030, highlighting its commitment to environmental responsibility.

GREENWASHING

More consumers are increasingly influenced by green marketing, using sustainability claims in their purchasing decisions, but there is a need to be wary of ‘greenwashing’. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has found organisations can mislead consumers about their environmental friendliness. A March 2023 report by the ACCC, outlining the results of an internet sweep of environmental claims, found 57% of businesses made concerning claims.1

Jocelyne Simpson, co-founder at Good Citizens Eyewear – an Australian company that takes discarded single-use plastic bottles and turns them into sunglasses – explained that “there’s a lot of greenwashing when it comes to products using recycled materials”.

“Some are very liberal with the truth, saying their product is recycled when it only contains a small percentage of recycled materials.

“At Good Citizens Eyewear we only use recycled plastic for our frames. Not 5% or even 50%; 100% rPET. Our entire range of frames is 100% recycled.”

To overcome ‘greenwashing’ it is important to do your research and read the fine print. Do not rely on visuals and packaging alone when it comes to making eco-conscious decisions.

B CORP CERTIFICATION

B Corps are formally certified businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. OTIS Eyewear, available through ProOptics, is one of several B Corp certified companies and according to ProOptic’s Jacque Katsieris “from the front door mat to the coffee room, all aspects of Otis eyewear are eco-focussed and approved”.

One of OTIS Eyewear’s initiatives is that it uses mineral glass lenses in all its sunglasses, since it is sourced from natural elements and is endlessly recyclable.

Take a look at the green eyewear and contact lens ranges on the following pages, to see what products are available to meet the demand from your patients to ‘go green’.

April Petrusma is the CEO of Optical Dispensers Australia and a Senior Lecturer at the Australasian College of Optical Dispensing. She is a qualified optical dispenser, trainer, and business manager with a degree in Visual Communication.

Reference
1. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Greenwashing by businesses in Australia, March 2023, available at: accc.gov.au/about-us/publications/greenwashing-by-businesses-in-australia-findings-of-acccs-internet-sweep [accessed April 2024].