What a passion for “green” glasses, made with ecological or recycled materials, is not a simple summer infatuation is confirmed by the numbers of Nau!, an Italian eyewear brand with a network of over 180 optical stores in Italy and abroad. “We introduced recycled plastic models in 2007 and they were immediately popular. In the past three years, however, net of the pandemic, sales of eco-friendly eyewear have jumped from8 al 15% of the total, both in value and in volume: in fact, there is no difference in price compared to the other lines – he says Monica Silvestrin, product and marketing director of Nau! -. They are predominantly sunglasses (60%), but also the green optical frames (40%) they are increasingly in demand “. To choose them would be a decidedly transversal public in terms of gender, age and status, sensitive to environmental issues and constantly expanding at all geographical latitudes, in small towns as well as in large cities.
Hence the choice of many companies in the optical sector to ride the phenomenon by entering the sustainability environmental in their value proposition. This is the case, among others, of Timberland, which he uses to produce most of his glasses bio-basic materials for at least 35%. You hate Gant, which uses plastica r-Pet 85%, so each pair of glasses is made up of a maximum of 5 recycled bottles. Also 23° Eyewear, thanks to the adoption of a biomaterial called Neocleus, aims at the recycling of its frames indefinitely. On the same line Bbgr Italy and for deliveries to the opticians of Milano of ophthalmic lenses Galileo e Nikon has decided to rely on Urban Bike Messenger, a professional bicycle courier company. From Rigo finally, he is alongside the non-profit organization Save the planet and undertakes to compensate their own CO2 emissions in the atmosphere.
To evaluate the real environmental sustainability of green glasses, however, the whole should be studied production chain of product, considering its entire life cycle in the logic of Life cycle assessment (Lca). “Although it seems positive that the frames are made, for example, with plastic-littering fished out of the oceans – he specifies Altroconsumo, independent consumer association -, we must ask ourselves if its best destination is reuse in eyewear ”. Therefore, the difference is and will be environmental certifications, both product and process.
The enhancement of industrial plastic waste from Nau! it’s not limited to frames. In particular, “in addition to recovering sprues and machine drains to give them new life in the form of fine glasses – he adds Silvestrin – we make cases in recycled extruded material, then selling them separately in order to extend the life cycle of the old cases and reduce waste “. In turn, Thelios, the group’s eyewear company Lvmh, uses castor oil in an amount equal to 40% of the total to manufacture the bio-tapes that accompany the green models signed by Stella McCartney.
For our actions to be truly eco-sustainable, he suggests Other consumption, however, it is necessary to try to give them a long life by changing them when it is really necessary, using them well and paying attention not to lose them.
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