Protect your eyes—and the earth—wearing eco-friendly glasses and sunglasses. If you're looking for ways to live a greener lifestyle, consider eyewear made from recycled, naturally sustainable, or other environmentally responsible materials. Not only will you look great in these eco-friendly frames, you'll feel great about reducing your carbon footprint.
Eco-friendly sunglasses and eyeglasses are either made from recyclable, biodegradable, or recycled materials, or made by companies with a commitment to offset their carbon footprint. While some eco-friendly eyewear manufacturers like ECO craft their glasses from their proprietary bio-based plastic for sustainability, others, like Timberland, have an initiative in place to plant trees to offset the impacts of manufacturing and shipping. Other brands use recycled plastic, like Costa, which makes their eco-friendly glasses from recycled fishing nets.
Eco-friendly glasses are made from recycled, recyclable, or biodegradable materials. Many manufactures will repurpose ocean or landfill-bound plastic to create sustainable eyewear options for men and women. By selecting sunglasses or eyeglasses made from environmentally friendly materials, you can help reduce your carbon footprint.
No, most sunglasses are not recyclable. While most plastic sunglasses are made from acetate, a natural cotton-based material, the frames are often finished with several layers of petroleum-derived coatings for added durability, and to add colors. This renders the frames unrecyclable and means they are headed for a landfill when you dispose of them. Opt for sustainable sunglasses and find options that you can recycle or even compost when you are ready to move on to a new pair.
Sustainable sunglasses help keep trash out of the oceans by recycling discarded plastics to make something new and fashionable: earth-friendly sunglasses and eyeglasses frames. Eco-friendly eyewear brands are dedicated to leaving the earth clean and healthy, so they choose plastics made with recycled or natural resources like ocean-or landfill-bound plastic, cottonseed fibers, or even beans.
Brands like Costa, ECO, and Timberland lead the industry with best practices in making sustainable sunglasses and eyeglasses, but they are not the only companies with a vision to make a difference. Zeal Optics, Chloe, and Dragon are a few other forward-thinking brands that make environmentally friendly eyewear options too.