Talking About Green

You’ve no doubt found numerous ways to use your consumer dollars to express your penchant for eco-friendly living.  Your floors are made from reclaimed hardwood planks, you’ve added a recycling center to your kitchen, every fabric in your home is organic, and the trees planted around the house not only produce oxygen and clean the air, but help you conserve energy.  In short, you are making the effort to reduce your carbon footprint on every front.  But even you, who can claim the title of Green Queen in your community, may not realize just how many products on the market are made with sustainability and environmental responsibility in mind.  For example, did you know that there are dozens of eyewear manufacturers doing their part to green up the industry that helps people to see more clearly?  If you’re still buying glasses that are made from non-recycled plastics and metals, or purchasing from lens-makers that pollute with chemical processes and waste water like it’s going out of style, then perhaps it’s time to check out some of the companies that are doing more to green up eyewear.

First, there are a number of businesses working to change the way eyewear is made, using recycled materials in construction and creating less waste in the process.  One such company is Equations, which only sells reclaimed eyewear (in essence, they recycle both frames and lenses).  Link Skin is another good example as they use 60% recycled materials (mainly plastics) to create their gorgeous retro-modern-fusion frames while eschewing the use of metal screws and hinges.  And finally, there is iWood Designs, which makes some surprisingly cool (and lightweight) frames from recycled hardwood.

The next eco-innovation to hit the eyewear industry comes in the form of sustainability and it encompasses a wide variety of practices.  Amy Sacks has created the Masa Eyewear Collection from quick-growing and water-conserving bamboo and her shades are available in a number of colors.  Then there is Essilor, which doesn’t necessarily create green eyewear, but works hard to keep operations conservative by reducing water and energy usage (they cut water consumption 70% and reportedly save 7 million kilowatt hours of energy each year), as well as using recycled building materials and providing eco-friendly desks and chairs for employees.  And Cazal uses reclaimed water and biomass heating in their operations.

The last type of eco-eyewear company may not be creating green products or drastically cleaning up their operations, but they are still working to reduce their carbon footprint by giving something back to the environment.  Nouveau Eyewear has created the Global Releaf line in association with American Forest, and every pair sold results in a tree being planted.  And the McGee Group sells Ducks Unlimited eyeglasses, from which a portion of proceeds goes to conserving, protecting, and reclaiming wetlands for North American water fowl.

There are many more companies out there doing their part to create greener products, conserve and cut waste in their manufacturing process, and donate to organizations that are working for environmental change.  So if you value their contributions to preserving our planet, show your support by opting to purchase their products the next time you’re in the market for a new pair of shades or reading glasses.

Sarah Danielson writes for EZ Contacts USA where you can find a huge selection of contact lenses and even search through a large selection of contact lenses for astigmatism.

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