Sustainability is a top priority nowadays. Companies all around the globe are concentrating on developing goods that are as eco-friendly as possible by sourcing responsibility or making the main product components from recycled materials, and the recycled sunglasses industry is no exception.
But how can you begin to make products more environmentally friendly? When done appropriately and not for the sake of greenwashing, becoming more ecologically friendly has significant advantages.
How Are Recycled Eyewear Made?
In general, these procedures can be followed to produce recycled eyewear.
Collecting — Plastics are collected at collection sites or through recycling programs.
Sorting — The plastics are sorted into groups depending on their resin code once they’ve been brought in (RID). Plastic may be classified into six main types worldwide.
- Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) is a kind of plastic (PETE or PET).
- High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is a kind of plastic with a high density (HDPE).
- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is a kind of plastic (PVC).
- Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) is a kind of plastic with a low density (LDPE).
- Polypropylene is a kind of plastic (PP).
- Styrofoam or polystyrene (PS).
In the recycling process, sorting is critical. For example, when you remelt the plastics, they might separate if you don’t do it right.
Washing & Shredding — Before being processed further, the sorted plastics are shredded and washed. The objective here is to extract any contaminants or nonPlastic objects that may have made their way into the batch, such as a stuck-on paper label.
Pelletising & Melting — The polymers are melted and crushed together to produce plastic pellets in the final stage. Manufacturers can subsequently utilize these pellets to manufacture other items, such as recycled eyeglass frames.
Sad to say, not all plastics are recyclable. Because of their toxicity, resin categories such as PS, PVC, and others not listed are not recyclable.
Also, not all plastics can be recycled indefinitely without losing their quality. Plastic, in reality, can only be recycled three times before its quality deteriorates to the point that it can no longer be utilized.
Effects of Acetate
In addition to recycled plastic, many firms use cellulose acetate in their eyeglasses, noting its environmental and natural benefits. Overall, acetate appears to be a superior choice for eyeglasses than virgin polymers. Acetate recycling is theoretically viable, as evidenced by the use of acetate in cigarette butts, but there isn’t enough knowledge on the effects of acetate recycling to make an informed decision.
Searching for Alternatives
Other than plastic and acetate, there are other materials you may use to make your eyeglasses. Recycled timbers and metals, for example. While these materials are better in aiding the environment from a manufacturing standpoint, one must guarantee that the wastes and products have a long-term effect that you can recycle into new goods.
The environmental impact of plastics must consider the complete production process. For example, titanium, a common frame metal, can result in very hazardous waste.
Wrapping Up
People all across the world should recognize the need for a cleaner and greener environment. We must all take responsibility for our actions. One can make every attempt to preserve our mother earth from harmful activity by going for reusable materials like recycled sunglasses. Going green is here to stay, whether making eyewear out of acetate, recycled metals, or plastics. What matters is that manufacturing, procedures, and product quality are all compliant and traceable. By doing this, we can help and preserve our land.