While the brand provides a lot of transparency regarding their materiality and sustainability aligned actions, they do not give any information regarding their production and sourcing facilities, nor details regarding ethical production.
Eco Eyewear uses bio acetate for the frames, which is natural and decomposable, sourced from wood pulp and cotton. They also use castor seeds which is turned into the base material for their frames. For their metal components they use recycled metals, and they also use recycled ocean plastic for their eyewear. They use bio Nylon for their lenses, which is a natural and renewable material.
Their demo lenses are also made from 99% recycled plastic, and display stands are made from FSC certified bamboo and recycled paper. FSC certification ensures ethical sourcing of the wood from protected forests.
The brand also conducts environmentally sustainable practices, such as sponsoring an ocean cleanup, from which they then use the sourced ocean plastics to create their frames. Their cases and cleaning cloths are also made from recycled PET plastics, and packaging is made from recycled paper. Their transport packaging is made of 100% cornstarch, which is biodegradable, and the first of its kind in the eyewear industry!
Additionally, today, over 3.3 million trees planted through their One Frame, One Tree program in partnership with Trees for the Future. Eco Eyewear’s trees clean out more CO2 than their eyewear production creates, making them carbon-negative. However, we would love to see more information regarding their claim to be carbon-negative, such as their carbon footprint calculations.
Eco Eyewear uses a lot of recycled materials, contributing to their circularity. Their products are all easily recycled at the end of use. Aside from this, they don’t provide any repair or take back options for their products.
The brand is located in New York, but does not provide any information regarding the production and sourcing locations, making the length of the supply chain unverifiable. They also do not give us any information regarding their transportation methods, which makes a big difference on their emissions regardless of the length of the chain.
Eco-eyewear does not use any animal materials, hence they are theoretically a Vegan brand.
Eco eyewear uses high quality, sustainable materials for all their products. They make an active effort to balance the sustainability of the materials with the durability and comfort. They also provide clip-ons for their glasses to turn them into sunglasses anytime necessary. They produce timeless, basic styles for everyday use that surpass temporary trends. They however, do not provide any care tips or products to keep the glasses in use for as long as possible.
The brand provides a lot of transparency regarding materials and sustainable actions, but no transparency regarding their production locations and processes, making it difficult to verify ethical workplace practices and their social actions.
Conclusion
Eco Eyewear is a leading brand for sustainable eyewear, find one of their products at a point of sale below –
