Spectacle frames are quite unusual in that they combine the functions of a medical device with elements of fashion. The fashion industry is usually pegged second only to the oil and gas industries in terms of detrimental environmental impact, and frame production and use can be subject to the elevated levels of wastefulness associated with fashion.
One obvious way to improve sustainability under current consumption patterns is moving towards a closed production loop by using recycled and recyclable materials, and that is where Eastman comes in.
The company currently offers three renewable materials: Acate Renew, a 100% sustainable acetate that contains 40% recycled material and offers properties appropriate for luxury eyewear; Tenite Renew, a premium material that can be injection molded and contains at least 20% recycled content and 36% biobased content; and Tritan Renew copolyester, a 50% recycled content material suitable for injection molded eyewear.
Driving Eastman’s efforts to bring its sustainable materials to widespread use in the eyewear industry is Rachel Oakley, eyewear segment market manager at the company.
‘The biggest part of my role is supporting the business in the transition to sustainable materials,’ says Oakley. ‘Eastman has been in the eyewear industry since the 1930s supplying acetate type products. We have technology that allows us to recycle hard to recycle plastics, and that means our sustainable acetates can be identical to non-sustainable acetates in terms of properties.’
Tipping point
A lifelong spectacle wearer, Oakley came to work in the eyewear business with her current role in 2019. Has she been surprised at the increased interest in sustainability within the sector since then?
‘I knew it was coming because most eyewear in its essence is something we wear and, in an earlier role, I had already seen mainstream fashion move to become more sustainable. There’s still a lot of fast fashion but improvements have been made to quite a lot of mainstream clothing. So, in a way it wasn’t a surprise that things have snowballed; we knew that the eyewear industry was ready for it.’
With its Renew materials, Eastman is looking to offer solutions across a wide range of price points.
'In the beginning a lot of companies understandably tried out the sustainable material on a single collection,’ she says. ‘From our point of view though, that missed an opportunity because there’s no reason to do a collection when you can just change everything.
'One thing we’re trying to do as a company is really make sure that sustainability is available to everybody by offering a sustainable material for high-end, mid-market and budget frames.'
Right practice
What advice does Oakley have for eye care professionals and practice staff on the subject of sustainability?
‘What I’m seeing right now is some excessive nervousness about sustainability,’ she says. ‘To people who are working in practice, first of all I would say there’s a huge business benefit to leading on sustainability so don’t be afraid. A large and increasing proportion of people coming into your practice want sustainable eyewear and, to most of them, that means a sustainable material.’
‘Second, providing sustainable solutions to people is going to make them feel better about your business. We’ve done some testing on this and found people will have more loyalty and actively recommend your business. I think most people will, if they have a choice between two styles, choose the one that looks best. But if it looks great and it is sustainable too, they are going to feel so much better about the purchase and talk to people about it.’
With frame companies switching their entire production of acetate frames to the Renew materials, Eastman is now looking for additional ways to supply sustainable solutions to the eyewear industry.
‘We’re also developing solutions for lenses,’ says Oakley. ‘Lenses can be 50% of the weight of a pair of frames so this would help our long-term aspiration to further increase the circularity of the industry. Last year, we launched a pilot scheme with retailer Warby Parker in which we took back their dummy lenses and recycled them into acetate.
We’ve also developed a sustainable lens for non-prescription sunglasses using polyester type plastics. By breaking down the material to the molecules, it is fully clear and can be polarised.’