We’re living in exciting times. Around the world, spectacle and contact lens manufacturers are focussed on innovating to find sustainable solutions to business that will appeal to the public and protect the planet without impacting their economic viability.

WRITER Melanie Kell

The word ‘sustainability’ is increasingly the focus in conversations and articles about the environment, but have you ever stopped to think about what that word means?

In the context of the environment, the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary says, “the use of natural products and energy in a way that does not harm the environment”.1In the context of the economy, it describes sustainability as “the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level”. 1

According to the UN World Commission on Environment and Development, “sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.2

And the University of California, Los Angeles sums all of this up nicely saying: “Sustainability is the balance between the environment, equity, and economy… it is about our children and our grandchildren, and the world we will leave them.”3

Research tells us that sustainability is no longer a desire – it’s a demand. At a global level, more than 44% of consumers in the latest edition of the EY Future Consumer Index4 suggest they want to buy more from organisations that benefit society, even if their products or services cost more. Additionally, 30% said they were willing to pay a premium for more sustainable goods and services. 5

The introduction of sustainable practices that support ecological, human, and economic health and vitality has become a strategic business decision. Or as EY states, “A comprehensive integration of sustainability principles into activities across the organisation is vital for the business to be competitive”.6

And so, it stands to reason that whether it’s the people they’re employing or the materials, manufacturing processes, water, energy sources, and packaging they’re using, most lens companies are increasingly focussed on finding more sustainable solutions.

ACTION NOT WORDS

Where once we were excited about producers that voiced their ambitions and goals for sustainable practices, consumers now demand evidence of action.

Bausch & Lomb is one company that has recognised the importance of providing evidence of activity in a formal document. In its 2021 Environmental, Social and Governance Report, parent company Bausch Health reported achievements that included a 40% reduction of its monthly water consumption; an 80% reduction of monthly solid waste; and a more than 60% increase in waste that is reused or recycled off-site.

Bausch Health also identified specific goals to drive further change through its global operation, with each operation tasked with an annual goal to improve at least one Fuel, Energy, Water and Waste (FEWW) metric by 10%.

Like other companies, Bausch Health is also driving change by putting pressure on suppliers – purchasing preference is given to environmentally sustainable products and services that are comparable to their standard counterparts in quality, price, and performance.x

REDUCING CONSUMPTION, INCREASING RECYCLING

CooperVision also actively promotes its achievements, specifically to make one-day contact lenses plastic neutral through a pioneering global partnership with Plastic Bank, a social enterprise that builds ethical recycling ecosystems in coastal communities. For every box of CooperVision one-day contact lenses distributed in Australia and New Zealand, CooperVision purchases credits that fund the collection and recycling of ocean-bound plastic by coastal collectors “ocean stewards” who are paid for their work. A ticker on a dedicated website counts the amount of plastic collected in real time. At the time of going to print, the environmental impact of CooperVision’s program was equivalent to the collection of 113 million plastic bottles.7 Alcon, which has also partnered with Plastic Bank, states its plan to remove one ton of ocean-bound plastic for every ton of plastic the manufacturer company uses in its Precision1 and Total1 contact lenses and blisters.

As well as recycling, companies like Miru have reconsidered their approach to packaging, coming up with a contact lens flat pack that reduces raw material input by 80% while also providing greater convenience for consumers. Johnson & Johnson Vision looked at its methods of distribution and made the decision to ship rather than air freight Acuvue lenses. In the process, it reduced the company’s carbon footprint by 13%. And JuzVision has contributed to the hands-on education of optical dispensers and optometrists by donating unused frames and lenses to the University of New South Wales and the Australasian College of Optical Dispensing for use in class.

In the following pages you’ll find out more details about the actions these and other lens companies are taking to protect the planet for generations to come.

References
1. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com.
2. www.un-documents.net/ocf-02.htm.
3. www.sustain.ucla.edu/what-is-sustainability.
4. www.ey.com/en_gl/future-consumer-index.
5. www.ey.com/en_au/future-consumer-index/ sustainability-isn-t-what-it-used-to-be.
6. www.ey.com/en_vn/sustainability/how-to-enhance-longterm-business-value-through-sustainability.
7. plastic-neutral.coopervision.com/plastic-neutrality.