Top Tips on Shopping For Eco-Friendly Eyewear

We all want to do our bit to protect the planet, but what do you do when it comes to your eyewear?  

There are so many ways in which you can be eco-savvy when it comes to your eyewear. From recycling or re-purposing old specs to now being able to buy sustainable and eco-friendly glasses and sunglasses.  

Not sure where to start? Then let’s go through some examples: –  

Reglaze Your Old Frames

More often than not, when you have your eyes tested and your prescription has changed, you are told you need new glasses and shown a selection of new frames to choose from. But what if you love the frames you already have? What if you don’t want a new pair of glasses? Reglazing your current or old frames could be the answer. 

Think of this as the best of both worlds; you get to keep your beloved frames and have your new prescription lenses in them and save the planet, as by reglazing your current frames, you are making a sustainable choice due to the fact you are re-using your current frame, and it is not ending up in the bin. 

Buy Sustainable/Eco-Friendly Glasses Frames & Sunglasses

If reglaze isn’t for you and you would like a new frame, many sustainable frames are available for glasses wearers. 

Materials such as wood, bamboo and bio-acetate are new materials being used to create sustainable and eco-friendly frames. Ocean plastics are another material being used to create new eyewear. 

If you do prefer a metal frame, there are options available to you, too, with Eco Metal Frames being made from recycled materials. 

And some eco-friendly frames are re-purposed frames. Saved from the landfills, they are made spick and span, ready for you, their new owner.  

Heads up, look out for companies that plant trees when you purchase a pair of glasses from them.  

Recycling Glasses Frames

As mentioned briefly above, you may be able to recycle your old pair of glasses; why not ask your optician what options they have available? They could have links to a recycling company, or they may have connections with a charity where you can donate your glasses to someone less fortunate and in need. So, dust off those old specs and let’s pop them to good use instead of a landfill. 

Want to read more about what Superdrug is doing with regard to Sustainability?