BUSINESS: Going Green With Tech Print Industries, EveryWear Eyewear Commits to Sustainability By Gwendolyn Plummer Wednesday, August 28, 2024 8:30 AM AMSTERDAM and NEW YORK—For entrepreneurs establishing new eyewear companies in today’s landscape, there’s no question that sustainability is a non-negotiable. Thankfully, there are almost infinite ways to approach sustainability in eyewear design and production—and for EveryWear Eyewear, located in the Netherlands, collaborating with Tech Print Industries (TPI) was the perfect solution. Ruben van Bodegom and Alain Schutter founded EveryWear Eyewear in 2020, with the goal of combining “their love of adventure with sustainability,” according to the brand. The two were newcomers to the eyewear industry, and began their journey by visiting various trade shows, where they say they were struck by how far the industry has to go in terms of sustainability. It was at Silmo that the two discovered TPI’s 3D printing eyewear technology, which fit their needs perfectly. Schutter explained, “Our mission has always been to make a positive environmental impact, and traditional manufacturing methods simply were not aligning with that goal. TPI’s innovative 3D printing technology gave us the breakthrough we needed.” With TPI technology, EveryWear created Earth Collection, its first launch. Thanks to the speed of 3D printing, van Bodegom and Schutter were able to “enter the optical arena in record-breaking time,” said TPI. EveryWear Eyewear describes its eyewear as “pollution-free,” in a move that aims to increase transparency and clarify the somewhat nebulous meaning of “sustainable.” This is achievable through TPI’s 3D printing process, which uses 97 percent of the material that goes into the printer. Materials include PA11 from castor beans and durable PA12—EveryWear said that with TPI it has produced the first 3D printed sunglasses from a castor bean. The company said on its website, “Every purchase from EveryWear not only helps to change the optics industry, but also supports farmers in India and helps the world become a little cleaner.” EveryWear utilizes proprietary MJF (multi jet fusion), full color 3D printing and recyclable materials to eliminate traditional production waste. EveryWear Eyewear works with a select number of optical stores throughout the Netherlands, allowing ECPs to bring their sustainable collections straight to patients. In addition, the brand sells all of its eyewear online, direct to the consumer. The brand won the Young Entrepreneurs 2023-24 award for its partnership with TPI. TPI, founded by Marc Notenboom and ClearVision Optical’s David Friedfeld and Peter Friedfeld, allows designers, brands and ECPs to utilize its proprietary software for full color 3D printing of eyewear. 3D printing eyewear allows for rapid, on-demand fulfillment with minimal stock or excess inventory, while prioritizing sustainable and responsible production, TPI said.