Sustainable and
eco-friendly glasses
It's time to open our eyes: glasses can be very polluting items! Some glasses contain nickel, copper and even plastic. These materials are durable but not in a good sense. They are very hard to degrade in nature and therefore they contaminate the soil. Are you looking for sustainable and ethical eyewear, a pair of high-quality sunglasses or blue light filter glasses? Are you in need of a committed optician with sustainable values? COSH! offers you eco alternatives at our fingertips.
Glasses made in Europe
By buying glasses made in Europe you encourage brands to reduce their carbon footprint. Because the shorter the supply chain is, the less CO2 emissions are released into the air!
Seed lunettes is a store located in Brussels and offers eyeglasses and sunglasses from 6 environmentally friendly European brands. The frames are all made from sustainable, recyclable or biodegradable materials harvested in Europe. In addition, the glasses are produced and assembled entirely in Europe.
Looking for a unique, vintage and sustainable pair of glasses? Bidules is the perfect store for you! The Bidules team travels all over Europe in order to look for old glasses in attics, cellars or old glasses factories. The goal? To restore, repair and give them a new life.
Did you know that almost 100% of eyeglasses produced in Europe before the 1990s were of excellent quality? At Bidules, you'll find unique, high-quality vintage frames that are sometimes 80 years old. It's amazing! If you don't know what to do with your old glasses, bring them to Bidules or donate them to Lunette sans frontières.
Do you live in West Flanders and are you looking for sustainable glasses, produced in Europe? Then Optiek Cardoen is the place to be! Owner Francisca is an experienced optometrist and has been the proud owner of her store for over 30 years. At Optiek Cardoen you will find glasses from small, European eyewear brands that focus on sustainable production with recycled or biobased materials. Fun fact: each frame is only available once in the store! This way, you are sure to go home with a unique pair of glasses!
Innovative and natural materials
Looking for glasses that are made with respect for the environment? Then we have good news for you, because the world of eyewear is going green! Several manufacturers already use traceable, natural and local materials.
At Seed Lunettes and at Optiek Cardoen you can find glasses made from biodegradable and recyclable materials.
For example, at Shelter Manufacture, the glasses are made from natural wood veneer. All the wood comes from sustainably managed forests and meets the standards of the FSC label, which guarantees respect for resources for future generations. The brand also uses bio-acetate for its frames, this material is composed of wood fiber. It is therefore 100% recyclable and 80% biodegradable.
At Seed Lunettes you can also discover Friendly Frenchy. This brand creates glasses are made from 100% organic materials, based on plants, scallops from the Breton and Norman coasts and recycled and organic grape seeds. The scallops used by Friendly Frenchy are leftovers from the fishing and restaurant industries. Therefore Friendly Frenchy is a great circular brand!
The eyeframes at Bidules come from various places in Europe and they are made of different materials. Since they are refurbished, they are more eco-friendly than a new pair of glasses.
Bidules uses two materials for its lenses: CR39 and polycarbonate. CR-39, or allyl diglycol carbonate (ADC), is a type of plastic often used in the manufacture of eyeglass lenses. The brand also uses polycarbonate, which is an improved version of organic lens.
The brand Komono offers eyeglasses and sunglasses made of cellulose propionate (CP), stainless steel, bio acetate and recycled acetate. These materials are durable, fire, chemical and corrosion resistant. The lenses are made of eco-acetate, which is composed of renewable and natural raw materials. The brand also uses bioplastic made from castor beans for its eyewear.
Do you want to catch someone’s eye with sustainable and trendy eyeglasses or sunglasses? Discover our selection of ethical and sustainable stores and brands on our COSH! shopping guide!
