The “green” trend in clothing, cosmetics, and accessories is almost irresistible. Buying organic or recycled clothing and all-natural perfumes and cosmetics provides you with a stylish look plus the warm and fuzzy feeling of having helped the environment with your purchase.
Earth-friendly eyewear is part of this trend, and the options for sustainable frames are impressive. However, selecting ecologically responsible eyewear requires different considerations than those needed for other “green” products.
Choosing “Green” Glasses
Many of us think of glasses frames as easily recyclable or reused. We’re used to seeing charity boxes that collect frames for distribution to the less fortunate, both in the US and abroad. Recently, however, questions have been raised about how often these glasses end up with someone who needs them. The number of glasses that might end up in landfills instead is a growing concern. If you’re worried about the overuse of fossil fuels, then the environmental cost of shipping used frames overseas might negate the financial benefits of passing them on to another person.
If purchasing sustainable eyewear is important to you, select your frames with the following points in mind:
- Biodegradability/Recyclability
- Manufacturing
- Value
- Style
Biodegradability/Recyclability
Greenwashing is a real thing in the world of sustainable retail; companies know that people will pay more if a product is labeled as biodegradable or recyclable. However, biodegradability is difficult to measure and regulate. Depending on the material and environment, some types of biodegradable accessories can break down in a landfill within several months while others can take a decade or longer to decompose.
High-quality frames that aren’t billed as recyclable or biodegradable could end up being eco-friendlier than more fragile frames made of recycled or biodegradable material. The more often you have to buy glasses, the more often you’re disposing of glasses. If you’re throwing something away, then you’ve produced trash, no matter how quickly that trash will biodegrade.
Manufacturing
Just as biodegradability is difficult to measure and prove, the environmental effects of the manufacturing process can be tricky to research. Many popular frames are produced in foreign countries. Safety and environmental regulations (and their enforcement) can vary from country to country. Shipping can also take a toll on the environment. It’s arguable that the environmental effects of shipping—including fossil fuel use and other pollution—might cancel out some sustainable brands’ ecologically responsible features.
Value
Value is another point to consider when selecting sustainable eyewear. Your choice shouldn’t focus on environmental sustainability alone; you have to think about your financial sustainability, too! Many frames that are advertised as biodegradable or sustainable run in the higher-end price range. If you have a tight budget for glasses, then you need to consider the longevity of your new frames.
Glasses made with sturdy material that can be easily repaired and reused might be more sustainable for the environment—and you– than a more fragile frame made from recycled plastic or wood that will break and need to be replaced in a year.
Style
Style and comfort may not seem like important aspects in an evaluation of sustainable eyewear, but if your glasses aren’t comfortable, don’t fit with your wardrobe, or aren’t suited to your lens prescription, then they’re not an Earth-friendly choice. Glasses that you don’t enjoy wearing or can’t wear become just another product that sits in your home—or a landfill—while comfortable glasses that you like to wear will be used to their maximum benefit.
What Are Sustainable Frames?
Frames that are advertised as sustainable or environmentally friendly generally fall into two categories: those that are made with a natural plant-based material and those made with recycled plastic.
| Material | Biodegradable/Recyclable/ Renewable | Value & Style | Brands |
| Cellulose Acetate | Biodegradability varies from several months to over 10 years | –Long lasting; easily fixed –Flexible –Many style options –Many color options | Mazzucchelli |
| Recycled Plastic | Recycled from fishing nets, ocean plastics, landfills, restaurants, etc. | –Many style options –Many color options | Sea2See Waterhaul Sunski |
| Wood | Reclaimed wood and scraps | –Can be heavy –Can break easily | Woodies SlykShades TreeTribe WearPanda |
| Bamboo | Grows fast, easily harvested | –Lightweight –Strong | |
| Vintage/Upcycled | Not known for recyclability or biodegradability | –Unique styles –May not work with some prescription lenses –Some repairs may not be possible | Vintage Optical Shop Vintage Sunglasses Etsy |
Plant-based or Plastic?
Many frames advertised as sustainable are constructed with something called “cellulose acetate.” Billed as natural and plant-based, this material is made from cellulose, a fiber derived from wood pulp, cotton, or other plant products, that’s treated with acids to create a slick plastic-like appearance.
Acetate is a key ingredient in many frames with a “natural” aesthetic, including frames made from wood, bamboo, or cork. While a pair of wooden glasses frames might appear charmingly artisan, some degree of industrial acetate has likely been added to the frames to strengthen them.
On the surface, glasses made from natural material come across as quite sustainable, especially those made with bamboo and cork, plants that grow quickly and are easily harvested. To make these frames practical for daily use, however, they are usually treated with acetate. The acetate question is worth keeping in mind because different countries have different environmental and safety regulations on the manufacture and use of acids, polymers, and other chemicals. It’s difficult to know what the production process for these frames is like when it’s done overseas.
Recycled plastic is another popular Earth-friendly material for glasses frames. While plastics gathered from recycling plants, landfills, and restaurants can be recycled into frames, marine plastic from fishing nets shows particular promise because it’s readily available. Note, though, that acetate and other industrial chemicals are likely ingredients in these frames as well.
The Upcycled Approach
An alternative to newly produced frames made from recycled or biodegradable material is vintage or “upcycled” frames. High-quality plastic frames from the past can be quite stylish and durable. Older frames were designed to be repaired rather than disposed of if broken. While the type of hard plastics used in these glasses might not be considered environmentally friendly today, these frames do tend to last a long time: in some cases, decades.
Online retailers specializing in vintage clothing and accessories are a good place to start your search for upcycled frames. Before shopping for vintage frames for prescription lenses, however, be sure to consult with an optician. Some old frames may not be appropriate for different types of lenses or prescriptions. When you receive the frames, an optician can cut the lenses and adjust the glasses so that they fit correctly on your face.
Not only do wooden and recycled plastic frames look quite stylish, but they also provide us with a sense of well-being in knowing we’ve chosen an accessory that helps the environment. However, just because a frame gives off an environmental aesthetic doesn’t mean it’s necessarily more Earth-friendly than other frame options, including vintage plastic and metal.
To pick a frame that truly meets your definition of Earth-friendly and sustainable, think about what these terms mean to you. If you know what you really value when it comes to sustainable eyewear, you’ll be able to choose frames that you can feel good about every time you put them on.