Simon Jones: Time to move on sustainability

It’s easy to underestimate the impact Eastman’s carbon renewal technology has, and will continue to have, on the eyewear sector, using sustainable acetate and plastics for injection moulding. It’s a genuine sustainability gamechanger at every price point.

It’s just one example in a sector that’s making significant improvements, but there are plenty of others that shouldn’t be overlooked. Brands using additive manufacturing (3D printing) are now able to leverage bio-based polyimide PA11 derived from responsibly sourced plants that don’t add to deforestation. When you consider the inherent lack of waste in the production process of 3D printed eyewear and the avoidance of overproduction and unsold stock, it’s clear that this method needs to have a bigger say in the sustainable eyewear sector and appear on more practices’ racks.