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Eyewear is perhaps the most outward-facing aspect of our business—it’s the product that customers interact with most often, the physical representation of the work we do. With that in mind, it’s also one of the most important fronts for our industry’s sustainability efforts, almost like a billboard showcasing all the ways in which eyewear and eyecare can evolve with and support our planet and our future.

Sustainable adaptations in eyewear are everywhere we look. From bio-acetates to brand new, innovative materials made from cigarette butts, there is seemingly no shortage of ways to make eyewear greener. In addition, reminding consumers that eyewear is designed to last and offering a lifetime of repairs, characteristics that make eyewear inherently sustainable, are crucial when it comes to the conversion around eyewear’s impact on our environment.

Eyewear companies are committing to sustainable initiatives and adaptations now more than ever—and we are seeing overwhelmingly positive responses from both ECPs and end-of-the-line consumers. Equally, many are looking at how they can better tell their sustainability stories to consumers at every step of the process. Here, we take a look at how some frame companies are tackling responsible eyewear production.






Bajio eyewear is sustainably made, and the team works alongside local communities to protect and preserve water environments.


 
Bajío Brings Sustainability to the Flats
From its founding in 2021, Bajío has had a focus on sustainability. Since the start, all Bajío frames have been made with castor plants, lenses from glass, cases from cactus, and boxes and bags from recycled paper, all with the goal of creating eyewear for fishing communities that protects saltwater flats and waterways. The company also ensures that its manufacturing processes are sustainable, and, founder and CEO Al Perkinson told VM, “We make sustainability a priority in all we do.”

In-store, Bajío only offers paper-based hang tags. There is no plastic at all in the brand’s packaging, and only paper tape is used to seal boxes. In production, Renato Cappuccitti, Bajío’s VP of optical/Rx, explained, “Our investment in developing the first-ever water reclamation centrifuge allows us to cut thousands of glass lenses with only 50 gallons of recirculating clean water while separating the solids and chemical waste that can be recycled and properly disposed of.”

In addition to sustainable materials and production processes, Bajío and its community stay actively involved with a variety of initiatives to help renew and protect the flats. These include beach clean-up programs, a Sargassum removal project, coral reef planting, mangrove planting, oyster planting, trial building, fish tagging and more.

Bajío is a line specifically designed for the fishing and outdoor water communities—one Perkinson was not sure would respond to a sustainable story. He explained, “We were not sure if our fishing customers would respond favorably or not. Fishermen are usually big supporters of conservation, but not always believers in climate change and environmental causes.

“We were very happy when our first customer research results revealed that the fact that our products are made sustainably was the number one reason people liked Bajío. It is tied to lens quality and clarity. It shows that most people who love the outdoors are on board with doing the right thing for our environment.”

In ECPs’ offices, the response has also been “overwhelmingly positive,” said Cappuccitti, Bajío’s VP of optical/Rx. They’ve found ECPs to be exceptionally receptive, “especially when we tell the whole story of how deep our sustainability initiatives go or showcase our eco-friendly manufacturing in Florida… We invested in doing what was right from day one and have not looked back. While it may entail higher costs initially, the long-term benefits to the environment, society and our reputation are invaluable.”




Eco Eyewear ensures carbon zero carbon impact for its products.


 
Eco Eyewear Doubles Down on Sustainable Practices
It’s all in a name for Eco Eyewear, which has been synonymous with sustainability in the eyewear industry since its founding in 2009. The brand has seen the growth of sustainable practices firsthand, and Rebecca Giefer, CEO, Modo Americas, has undoubtedly noticed an increase in interest in recent years. She told VM, “There has been an increase in appetite for sustainable products and we have been committed to being category leaders in our channel.”

To meet this demand, Eco has continued to focus its efforts on sustainable eyewear production, as well as tree planting and actively combatting climate change. Giefer told VM, “As global concerns about climate change continue to rise, we recognize the urgent need to mitigate greenhouse gas concentrations and implement adaptive measures. By releasing our Eco Eyewear 2023 Carbon Footprint Report, our team remains committed to actively combating climate change and setting the standard for environmental responsibility within the eyewear industry.”

On the product side, Eco launched ONE:1 this year, a new brand offering blue light and reading glasses designed to be sold by ECPs. The products are made using refined plastic water bottles—taking more plastic out of landfills and waterways and repurposing them. A tree is planted for each frame sold as well, ensuring zero CO2 impact for the products. Eco itself has also expanded, notably with the launch of Eco Active, which offers sustainable sport eyewear.

These expansions allow Eco to keep up with the consumer demand for sustainable eyewear, while also continuing to repurpose existing waste and plant more trees. Said Giefer, “This brand extension has been well-received by our customers, as it provides them with a wider range of options to offer their patients. To date, our product selection includes options made from recycled metal, biobased materials, ocean waste plastic and even used plastic water bottles.”

And consumers are responding well, including both ECPs and their patients. Giefer told VM, “In terms of ongoing sustainability initiatives, it’s really about the product and storytelling support we offer to the ECPs. We are continuing to drive product innovation, pursue new materials and expand the offering to meet customers’ needs throughout their lifestyle. Our customers are buying more Eco as the brand is growing within the channel, we think the reason is threefold: design, sustainability and competitive costing.”






EssilorLuxottica channels its sustainable efforts through many of its brands, including Ray-Ban and Arnette.


 
EssilorLuxottica’s Sustainable Ecosystem
With an eyewear portfolio as expansive as EssilorLuxottica’s, the opportunities for sustainable innovation are limitless. The company as a whole launched Eyes on the Planet, its group sustainability program, in 2021, with the goal of embracing sustainability “across our entire ecosystem, including our employees, suppliers, partners and customers,” Elena DiMichino, chief corporate sustainability officer, EssilorLuxottica, told VM.

In addition to overall corporate strategies including achieving carbon neutrality in the Group’s direct activities in Europe, use of renewable energy and more, EssilorLuxottica has strengthened its use of responsible materials in its eyewear collections. The recently launched Ray-Ban Reverse collection uses a wide range of responsible materials: bio-nylon lenses with a 41 percent bio-based carbon content, bio-acetate frames with a 67 percent bio-based carbon content and 100 percent recycled polyester cleansing cloths and packaging. DiMichino said, “The switch toward bio-based and recycled materials is now becoming the new standard for us—new brands joining the EssilorLuxottica portfolio adopt them by default in their collections.”

For lenses, the new Varilux XR series uses 19 percent less plastic compared to the previous Varilux X series, due to EssilorLuxottica’s proprietary design. And in store, at EssilorLuxottica’s Salmoiragi & Vigano optical chain in Italy, a pilot program encouraging consumers to bring back used eyewear to be reused or recycled is taking off.

In addition to adopting these materials, DiMichino said, “we’ve been able to recycle over 90 tons of recycled nylon in Italy, China and Brazil thanks to the process that we created to recycle and compound nylon plastic scraps derived from the injection manufacturing of frames into black raw nylon. This process is ISCC Plus certified for Circular Economy.”

On all levels, EssilorLuxottica has seen a positive response to the company’s sustainability efforts—and this shows particularly in the educational space. DiMichino said, “We have seen an extremely favorable response to our sustainability efforts, particularly among customers. Leonardo, our digital learning platform, is a key channel we use to engage ECPs on our Eyes on the Planet program. In 2023, 2.7 million hours of education were delivered via Leonardo, including live sessions to celebrate Eyes on the Planet related moments, such as Earth Day. More than 250,000 of those hours were spent on sustainability content, which is so encouraging. We have just closed the third edition of our ‘Sustainability Week,’ featuring live virtual classes on Leonardo along with climate workshops to engage our employee and customer communities on the official global Earth Day 2024 theme ‘Planet vs Plastics.’”




INVU Eyewear offers sun styles made from recycled water bottles, with accompanying POP to tell the story of the brand.


 
Europa Eyewear’s Sustainable Journey
Europa Eyewear focuses its environmental efforts through a number of its collections, including INVU and its popular children’s brand DB4K. Designed to appeal to kids, parents and ECPs, DB4K offers frames made from eco-friendly, hypoallergenic, PBA-free Pebax Renew, which is made from castor beans. Sustainability can be more difficult when working with childrenswear because of their rate of growth and change, so adapting sustainable materials into children’s eyewear allows Europa to offer a solution that works for kids and the planet.

In 2022, Europa debuted INVU Renew in North America, a series of polarized sun styles crafted from 100 percent post-consumer, recycled plastic bottles. To make the frames, plastic bottles are mechanically recycled into PET flakes, which are then purified and transformed into R-PET certified pellets. INVU frames are accompanied by POP that helps tell the story of these frames’ lifecycle, ensuring that end consumers understand the positive impact their purchase can make on the planet.

Europa is also dedicated to making a number of its collections in the United States—State and AO are both handcrafted by skilled artisans in Europa’s Illinois factory from global materials, lowering the company’s overall carbon footprint by eliminating the need to ship or fly frames overseas. In the U.S. factory, the Europa team has been dedicated to recycling metal and acetate scraps, and cleaning water used in manufacturing processes so it can be reused and not wasted. With a commitment to adopting green practices wherever possible in production, Europa is able to keep its high standards and offer the added benefits of eyewear consumers can feel good about.




Karun’s new material, Celion, is derived from cigarette butts.



Karün Combines Sustainability With Disruptive Innovation
In recent years, the team behind Karün, a sustainable eyewear brand based in Patagonia, has noticed “a marked increase in consumers’ pursuit of sustainability, especially in the demand for products that not only promise change but truly embody disruptive innovation from design inception to the final product,” strategic communications and social media director, María José Torrealba, told VM. Customers are becoming savvier to marketing-speak, said Torrealba, and “increasingly are rejecting ‘greenwashing’ and superficial claims.” Instead, “they seek and demand transformations that redefine our industry.”

In March of this year, Karün broke new ground when it debuted the world’s first eyewear frames made from Celion, a new material developed from cellulose acetate recovered from cigarette butts. Employing technology from Imeko, a Chilean cleantech company, the cigarette butts are collected, cleaned and processed to recover the cellulose acetate. The material offers a 40 percent reduction in carbon footprint compared to virgin acetate, is formulated with no toxic additives, is able to be molded in a conventional industrial plastic process and is infinitely recyclable. The launch of Celion is a concrete example of Karün’s commitment to practices that are not only sustainable, but also innovative.

It’s not just Celion; Karün’s 2023 Impact Report details its sustainable practices across the board. These include the Karün Regeneration Model, collecting tons of raw material from coasts, working with local communities and ECPs, compensation efforts and more. Torrealba said, “It’s not only a tool for transparency and recordkeeping but also serves to initiate discussions, seek potential collaborative solutions to our challenges, pull back the curtain of production processes, and encourage inquiries.”

On the ECP side, Karün has seen steady interest in learning more about the company’s sustainability practices and initiatives—but, again, this interest is only growing. Torrealba said, “Our ECPs have always demonstrated interest in our work with local communities from Patagonia, where we work together with our Impact Leaders who are in charge of collecting the discarded materials from the coasts of Patagonia; and in how we transform these discarded materials in the raw material for our eyewear. Over time, this interest has only intensified, with an increasing number of ECPs eager to include our sustainable eyewear in their offerings.”

Torrealba finds that ECPs are generally enthusiastic about conveying Karün’s sustainability story to patients, so they lean in and provide as much support as possible to tell the full story. She explained, “They not only share our marketing materials regarding our eyewear but also request videos and images showcasing our material collection process to share across their social media platforms and in their offices. To support them further, we provide trade marketing materials and training that help sales teams effectively communicate the inspiring storytelling behind our eyewear. The response from ECPs to these resources has been overwhelmingly positive.”




Kenmark Eyewear aims to not just meet demand for sustainable product, but be ready before these shifts occur.



Kenmark Sets Its Sustainable Sights
Laura Howard, eyewear designer at Kenmark Eyewear, has seen a slow but steady increase in demand for sustainable eyewear from consumers—but her goal, along with that of the entire Kenmark team, is to be a step ahead of that demand. She told VM, “It’s been a little bit of a slow burn for fashion in general to embrace sustainability, but like anything, when consumer sentiments shift, so do buying habits. Our goal is to not just meet the requests when they happen but be ready with the right product even before those shifts occur.”

For “most brands,” Kenmark is opting to use more sustainable materials, Howard said, no matter how that fits into the brand’s story or marketing. She explained, “Even if it’s not a big part of the marketing story for the brand, we feel that it’s the responsible thing to do.” Looking ahead, this will both continue and increase—Kenmark is launching a new Italian-made collection, Valdo, this summer, which exclusively uses ISCC-certified Acetate Renew.

As a whole, Kenmark has noticed positive consumer and ECP reactions to their sustainable commitments—especially because many ECPs are looking to enact more sustainable initiatives in their storefronts too. This is an opportunity for partnership, said Howard: “We’ve had a great response so far and most people are eager to learn more and to participate in tightening up their own sustainability initiatives. We try to be true partners with ECPs and provide not only more sustainable product, but also the right tools they may need to make it a success in their shops.”




Marchon and Altair include sustainable practices and materials across their portfolio of brands.



Marchon and Altair, Sustainability All the Way Through
As part of VSP, Marchon and Altair are part of the same “strong commitment” to sustainable practices, Thomas Burkhardt, president of Marchon Eyewear, told VM. This commitment is at the very core of the company as a whole, and reflects in all of its aspects—including frame design and production. All of Marchon and Altair’s brands use sustainable materials where possible—Burkhardt explained, “Marchon and Altair have been one of the leaders in the eyewear industry to utilize innovative sustainable materials wherever possible. They are now available across our portfolio of brands, and we are on the right track to have more than 50 percent of all our frames made from more sustainable materials and methods by 2025.”

Using these materials allows Marchon and Altair to protect our planet—and to meet customer demand. Said Burkhardt, “We are definitely seeing that consumers will choose sustainable products when they get presented with that choice. Over the years, Marchon has not only seen an increased demand for our sustainable eyewear, but also for more sustainable Point of Purchase items, using QR codes, and sustainable packaging materials.” In response, Marchon and Altair have implemented sustainability at every touchpoint, from frame material to polybags, demo lenses and shipping boxes.

The response to Marchon and Altair’s environmental commitments has been positive at all levels, and the company will only continue moving forward. Burkhardt said, “We have seen positive feedback from ECPs, sales force, customers, and, last but not least, our own employees regarding our commitment and advances around sustainability. Our accounts say that more and more customers are selecting sustainable frames when given the choice, which is great to hear and helps us meet Marchon’s goal to be 50 percent sustainable by 2025.”




Mykita prioritizes transparency when it comes to conversations around sustainability.



Mykita’s Sustainable Spirit Is on Display
For Mykita, transparency and sustainability has long been a brand-defining practice. The company’s CSR director, Xenia Glutz Von Blotzheim, told VM, “When looking at statistics on this topic, consumer demands on sustainability aspects tend to fluctuate according to current events and economic developments. However, for Mykita, transparency on how and where our products are produced defines our brand and company culture.”

Rather than look at sustainable initiatives through a sales and marketing lens, Von Blotzheim said, “We regard being a more sustainable company as paramount for the future, independently of momentary ups and downs of consumers’ demands. To us, it is imperative for the business to reduce our impact on the environment and to be a force for good to our customers, our team, and the communities where we operate. We believe this is the only way to secure the spirit and future success of the brand.”

All Mykita eyewear is handmade in Berlin and the EU in Mykita’s fully owned and operated manufacturing facilities under transparent and fair conditions. Ninety percent of the company’s purchased frame materials are recycled, and circular stainless steel is used in a closed loop with MYKITA’s Swedish supplier. For acetate, Mykita only uses Eastman Acetate Renew, made with 27 percent recycled content.

Up next, the team is looking at how to switch to a recycled material for demo lenses. Mykita also offers its complimentary MYCARE service, which provides dedicated maintenance and product aftercare to help extend the lives of Mykita frames and ensure the products are anything but fast fashion. The company won the first ever Silmo CSR prize in 2023, which acknowledges the sum of all its efforts in present and future plants.

In the ECP landscape, said Von Blotzheim, communication about sustainable efforts are becoming more important than ever. She explained, “Some opticians are using sustainability as a focus of their business, selecting sustainable brands as a point of differentiation of their practice from the competition, catering to the needs and demands of their customers. We are seeing more opticians and clients asking for specific sustainability credentials and information from us as we strive to be a good partner in those aspects. We will continue to advance and strengthen our transparency efforts and formalize accordingly.”




Modstyle launched Project Green in 2023 and has already planted over 3,500 trees in partnership with One Tree Planted.


 
Modstyle’s Sustainable Collection, Project Green, Launches at Full Force
In September 2023, independent eyewear supplier Modstyle International debuted Project Green, its sustainable collection specifically designed for environmentally conscious individuals and practices. The collection showcases a mix of bio-acetates, compostable demo lenses and an initiative with One Tree Planted to plant a tree for every frame purchased. In addition, manufacturers that work on Project Green specialize in zero waste manufacturing; one of the first steps in this process is ensuring that all acetate cutoffs are reused, no matter their size.

This year, Project Green won the Sustainability category in the ODMA (Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association) Awards of Excellence 2023 at O=MEGA23 in Melbourne, Australia, underscoring the brand’s commitment and impact. Through Project Green, over 3,500 trees have been planted across the Amazon rainforest and areas of Canada that have been affected by recent wildfires since 2023.

Launching Project Green was a logical next step for Modstyle International, as it allowed for the union of sustainability and style. Global brands manager Lisa Wymond told VM, “As consumers increasingly prioritize environmental responsibility, we recognized a growing demand for sustainable eyewear that doesn’t compromise on quality or style… we’re empowering individuals to make a positive impact on the planet while expressing their personal style.”

Moving forward, Project Green will redouble its efforts. Said Wymond, “With a commitment to eco-conscious practices, the brand aims to continue its exploration of sustainable materials, including bio-acetates and recycled materials. Expansion of the design range is on the horizon, with plans to introduce new styles, shapes and colors. Project Green also envisions integrating innovative features and technologies into its designs to enhance functionality and user experience, such as advancements in hinge designs, acetates and manufacturing techniques.”

On the ECP front, Wymond said Project Green has faced a “high level of enthusiasm.” Customers have not only embraced the brand instore, but are “actively sharing their excitement on social media platforms and championing it within their own practices. Seeing this kind of organic promotion is incredibly fulfilling and serves as a testament to the genuine value they see in what Project Green is doing.

“What’s even more encouraging is that we’re seeing the brand continue to grow in sales week after week. This super positive response from practices and the general public is very rewarding and inspiring. It fuels our determination for Project Green to continue exceeding expectations and making a meaningful impact.”




Sea2See puts protecting waterways at the forefront of all decisions.



Sea2See’s All Around Impact on the Environment
Sea2See was founded in 2016 with a clear goal of recycling marine waste into functional eyewear. The company has collected 500,000 pounds of raw material each year since then; that translates into 100 times more material than what is needed for Sea2See’s production, so the material is passed on and used in other industries as well. The Sea2See Foundation, which works with local communities to preserve costal and marine environments, and supports initiatives to protect children from slavery in the fishing industry, is the backbone of everything Sea2See does, ensuring the company is a taking a holistic approach to environmental protection that goes beyond collecting marine plastic.

Founder François van den Abeele explained to VM, “Knowing how light frames are, using recycled material is not enough in terms of tangible impact. Our foundation is growing, and expanding to other countries such as Senegal, Togo, Nigeria, Uganda, and hence increasing greatly our social and environmental impact.”

The call for sustainable and ecologically minded eyewear has grown, said van den Abeele, but that customer demand doesn’t change what Sea2See does. He told VM, “We have not evolved with the tendency of the market; we existed before the market showed interest for sustainable products… Since the creation of our brand in 2016 we have seen an evolution in consumers’ attitude: slow beginnings and surely more since 2022.”

When it comes to ECPs’ response, van den Abeele has found that the response to offering more than just a frame is overwhelmingly positive. He told VM, “They feel that we provide them with a great way to be involved in what we do. Each frame sold goes further than the product, and it motivates them to do more. We don’t sell frames, we sell eco disruption of the optical sector with products that [have] a tangible, sustainable and social impact, and they love to be part of it.”






Silhouette’s production facility in Austria is completely carbon neutral.


 
Silhouette’s Sustainable Values Remain Consistent
Silhouette has always seen responsibility to people and planet as a central part of its DNA, president of Silhouette Optical US Hartmut Kraft told Vision Monday. The global company has been completely carbon-neutral since 2022, including its production facilities in Austria. The production site is exclusively powered by CO2-free green electricity and has its own on-site rooftop solar power plant producing 1.3 M. kWh of green energy each year; 100 percent of that energy is then used in eyewear production.

Silhouette also takes its water consumption into account, as the production site is in an Austrian water conservation area. Kraft explained, “We therefore recycle our production water in our two in-house water treatment plants several times. This enables us to reduce by half the amount of fresh water required per pair of eyewear, as we can cover the remaining 50 percent with purified production water.” Some 27,000 gallons of water are recycled at Silhouette’s production facility on a daily basis.

And, of course, the essence of the eyewear Silhouette produces is sustainable: high quality eyewear designed to last for years, rather than be replaced. Kraft told VM, “Instead of simply consuming resources, we strive to preserve their value as much as possible and extend their life cycle. We also offer a high-quality repair service to avoid unnecessary waste. For each model of eyewear, we continue to stock spare parts for up to three years following discontinuation. Our partner opticians can even order spare parts for up to six years after a collection is discontinued.”

Silhouette is an independent family business owned by the third generation of that same family, allowing the company’s core values to remain consistent over the decades—this includes that commitment to sustainability, which Kraft said are not driven by consumer demand but by Silhouette’s tenets. That said, Kraft told VM, “In certain U.S. demographics, we are seeing more and more consumers gravitating toward sustainable products and supporting brands that are committed to reducing their carbon footprint.”

This move makes communication critical for Silhouette. Environmental action is already there—but customers need to know about it and be able to explain it to patients. Kraft noted, “An important part of national corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaigns is communication. Through dedicated webinars, we create a direct and very personal approach for our partner opticians on the subject of CSR. We need to meet the demand for transparency from consumers, and we want to bring our long-standing optician partners on board to improve our overall competitiveness. CMO Michael Schmied and COO Thomas Windischbauer, will present relevant information on sustainability, environmental protection and social responsibility.”

He concluded, “Our customers appreciate partnering with an eyewear manufacturer that takes their commitment to the environment seriously and does so as a matter of course not to create a marketing storyline. They are always interested in learning more about our sustainable production methods, materials, and how Silhouette is working to shape the future of eyewear.”






Thema’s on-demand production allows the company to be eco-forward.


 
Thema Is Concentrating on Only What We Need
Thema, an Italian eyewear company with a factory in Miami, Fla., focuses on sustainable production through its commitment to working on-demand. Since 2017, the company has been invested in on-demand production, which decreases waste and produces only what is needed when it is needed. In addition, Thema eyewear is made with Advanced Bio-Circular (ABC) and biobased materials in place of a fossil fuel-based alternative.

Giulia Valmassoi, CEO of Thema North America, told VM, “Sustainability is part of our business model, in fact instead of mass-producing, we prioritize producing only what our market needs. This principle has earned us the Sustainability Award for three consecutive years. Our commitment to sustainability permeates every aspect of our operations, from manufacturing practices to material sourcing and recycling initiatives.”

Although Thema has been committed to sustainable production since its inception, Valmassoi has noticed increased interest in the details in the past few years. She told VM, “Over the past year, we’ve noticed a significant shift in consumer attitudes toward eco-friendly businesses. There’s been a marked increase in customers asking questions like, ‘What makes you truly eco-friendly?’”

Being able to answer the question of sustainability with concrete examples is what can set a company apart. Valmassoi said, “It’s crucial to provide them with compelling reasons that are truly impactful. This awareness has led us to broaden our offerings, particularly with our customizable iGreen and Giorgio Valmassoi lines. Our customers really appreciate our unique approach, especially our efforts to combat overproduction in the industry.”




(L to R) WestGroupe vice president of product development and creative director, Beverly Suliteanu. WestGroupe’s eco-friendly OTP is growing, and the company is beginning to implement these initiatives into its other brands.


 
WestGroupe Knows Consumers Value Eco-Friendly Eyewear
In 2023, WestGroupe debuted OTP in the United States after a successful launch in Canada and Europe. This proprietary brand is focused specifically on unique and environmentally friendly eyewear. WestGroupe’s VP of product development and creative director Beverly Suliteanu has noticed an increased demand for eco-conscious eyewear. She told VM, “Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of how their purchasing decisions impact the environment and our world, and eyewear is no exception.

“There is a growing segment of consumers seeking out eyewear with a sustainability component, from the materials used in frame fabrication to the production processes employed. Consumers and retailers alike are asking more questions about the sustainability of products, including packaging and promotional materials, as we collectively strive to reduce unnecessary waste.”

The OTP collection was WestGroupe’s initial foray into sustainable initiatives, but as demand has grown, so has WestGroupe’s plans. Suliteanu explained, “The OTP collection was WestGroupe’s initial focus on eco-friendly initiatives, utilizing primarily recycled or biodegradable materials for frames, packaging, marketing and merchandising materials. We are now beginning to implement these initiatives across many WestGroupe brands.”

The company has just finalized an agreement with Eastman and will begin using Acetate Renew across its premium collections, Fysh, Kliik and Evatik. Recycled metals have been introduced to OTP, too. Packaging across all the WestGroupe brands, including demo lenses and polybags, has been and will remain biodegradable, and all marketing and merchandizing assets are created from recycled materials too.

When it comes to sustainability initiatives, Suliteanu has found WestGroupe customers to be “incredibly supportive” and “proud to stock WestGroupe products,” further underscoring the now widespread support for eco-conscious eyewear.