Ethical supplies: Materials matter when sourcing frames

Spectacle frames are a product worn close to the body and in regular contact with the skin, and yet there is almost no information about the materials used in its manufacture available to optical practices, let alone to the end consumer.

There can be a complicated supply chain in the manufacture of frames that is very difficult to unpick. The ecological impact of frame manufacture and some of the ethical issues are often overlooked when choosing what products to stock.

I believe that if we are selling a product then we are effectively endorsing it and so we need to be more aware of the ethical issues involved in its manufacture. This article aims to do just that.