WRITER Cathy Rennie Matos

In an era where environmental stewardship and social responsibility are no longer optional, Specsavers continues to make strides in embedding sustainability across its operations, partnerships, and product innovation.

Specsavers’ Head of Sustainability, Cathy Rennie Matos, provides a report on the company’s 2025 progress, and plans for the future.

Cathy Rennie Matos (centre) with Opticycle founders Nicholas and Deanna Klapsogiannis.

From advancing circular economy principles to deepening its commitment to equitable eye care, Specsavers’ journey reflects a holistic approach to sustainability – one that balances environmental goals with community impact.

After nearly two years of development, Specsavers launched a new glasses and contact lens (CL) blister pack recycling program in partnership with Opticycle in early 2025. Optical waste is notoriously difficult to recycle due to its complex mix of polymers, metals, and small components, while CL blister packs, made of polypropylene and aluminium foil, are too small for curbside recycling.

The collaboration with Opticycle resulted in an end-to-end recycling solution that enables frames, lenses, demo lenses, swarf, and CL blister packs to be responsibly recycled and transformed into new products, locally in Australia. This initiative is a gamechanger for the Australian optical industry and a testament to what’s possible when innovation meets purpose.

Specsavers is on track to recycle 50 tonnes of optical waste from its lab, warehouse and stores in its first year, and hopes to increase this to 60 tonnes in the second year, as more customers become aware that they can recycle their unwanted glasses and used CL blister packs through its stores. Importantly, this program not only diverts waste from landfill, but also supports the development of a circular economy in the optical sector.

For Specsavers, this recycling program is a testament to the company’s commitment to leading the way in sustainability and resource efficiency. By working together with Opticycle, Specsavers is not only reducing its environmental footprint but also paving the way for a more sustainable future for the entire optical industry.

JOINING FORCES FOR A CIRCULAR FUTURE

Introducing a recycling program for optical waste is important, but embedding circular thinking into Specsavers’ operations and scaling impact requires collaboration. That’s why Specsavers has become a network member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a global leader in accelerating the transition to a circular economy.

Unlike the traditional linear model (take, make, dispose), the circular economy reimagines how businesses design, use, and reuse products. It aims to eliminate waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use at their highest value (avoiding downcycling), and regenerate natural systems.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has provided Specsavers with access to cutting-edge insights, tools, and collaboration opportunities that will help achieve this.

The company is currently developing its circular economy strategy, which will guide how circular principles are embedded across the business – from product design and packaging to end of life solutions and opportunities within manufacturing operations. This strategy will help Specsavers re-evaluate how it designs, sources, uses and disposes of materials so that it can continue to operate, grow, and deliver value while minimising resource use, reducing waste and limiting its impact on nature.

INNOVATING FOR SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS

Product innovation remains an important aspect of the company’s sustainability strategy, and 41% of the Specsavers’ frame range now includes more sustainable materials, including bio-based plastics and recycled content. These materials not only have a lower environmental impact but also meet high standards for quality and durability.

The goal is to continue increasing the proportion of sustainable products in the Specsavers portfolio, aiming for 100% of frames globally to be made from bio-based or recycled materials by 2030.

Specsavers has also been taking meaningful steps to reduce the environmental impact of its ophthalmic lenses by optimising their design and production. Historically, the lens manufacturing process has resulted in high levels of plastic waste and energy consumption. Through collaboration with its suppliers, Specsavers has introduced several innovations to reduce both plastic and carbon outputs, including using smaller moulds and reduced volumes of monomer and plasticiser in its semi-finished lenses, shortened curing times which reduces energy usage per lens, optimised production, and improved logistics by shipping more lenses per container.

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT

Understanding the environmental footprint of products is critical to making informed, sustainable decisions. In 2025, Specsavers completed the first life cycle assessment (LCA) on key optical products in partnership with 3Keel, a sustainability consultancy known for its rigorous approach to environmental data.

The LCA provides credible, science-based insights into the emissions and resource use associated with key products across their entire lifecycle – from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal. This data will empower Specsavers product teams to make balanced decisions that consider both performance and sustainability, and guide future design improvements.

OPTIMISING PACKAGING

Packaging plays a critical role in both product protection and customer experience, but it also contributes to environmental impact. In 2025, Specsavers achieved an overall Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APAO) packaging performance score of 75%.

This score highlights the significant progress made in packaging sustainability and reflects the improvements in material efficiency, recyclability, and design innovation. Specsavers is working to further reduce unnecessary packaging, increase the use of recycled content, and explore alternative materials that align with circular economy principles.

LIFE-CHANGING IMPACT

Also in 2025, Specsavers celebrated a major milestone in its long-standing partnership with The Fred Hollows Foundation, surpassing $10 million in donations since the partnership began 16 years ago. This achievement is more than a number; it represents life-changing impact for communities across Australia and the Pacific.

With Specsavers support, The Foundation has delivered essential eye care services, including sight-saving surgeries and treatments, to more than 375,000 people, many of whom are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Pacific Islander. These programs not only help to restore vision but also dignity, independence, and opportunity.

Specsavers also joined forces with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and, together with existing regional partners, including Vision2020 and the Fred Hollows Foundation, will advocate for policy changes to remove barriers to eye health. The shared vision is clear: a world where everyone has the opportunity to see clearly and live fully.

TACKLING OCEAN PLASTIC

Specsavers’ partnership with Plastic Bank continues to deliver powerful environmental and social impact. To date, Specsavers and Plastic Bank have helped collect 894 tonnes of ocean-bound plastic waste, helping to prevent plastic waste from entering the sea.

Beyond environmental benefits, this initiative has positively impacted the lives of 1,514 collectors, many who live in vulnerable coastal communities. By turning waste into currency, and offering a safe, secure and traceable source of income, Plastic Bank offers a path out of poverty for these collection communities.

ASSESSING CLIMATE RISK AND PREPARING FOR DISCLOSURE

As climate-related risks become more pronounced, Specsavers has taken steps to understand and mitigate their impact. In 2025, Specsavers completed a comprehensive climate risk assessment to evaluate both physical risks (such as extreme weather events) and transitional risks (arising from the shift to a low-carbon economy).

The assessment helped identify vulnerabilities and opportunities across the Specsavers operations and supply chain, and inform transition plans and resilience strategies. It also supports compliance with the Australian Sustainability Reporting Standards, under which Specsavers is preparing its first climate-related financial disclosures.

These disclosures will provide transparency into how climate risks affect the company’s business, its strategy for managing climate-related risks and opportunities, and its performance against science-based targets.

LOOKING AHEAD

Reflecting on the achievements of 2025, it is clear that sustainability at Specsavers has evolved from a peripheral concern into a core business imperative. Looking ahead, Specsavers will continue to build on this momentum by:

• Continuing to reduce both direct and indirect carbon emissions,

• Expanding the circular economy strategy and product innovation,

• Scaling recycling and packaging optimisation programs,

• Deepening partnerships that drive equitable access to eye care, and

• Enhancing transparency through climate-related disclosures.

Cathy Rennie Matos is Head of Sustainability at Specsavers Australia and New Zealand.

From left: Hannah Edgecombe from Specsavers Baldivis with a patient and Abhishek Patekar from The Fred Hollows Foundation in Lightning Ridge.