I have always thought of glasses as a great accessory, but I haven't given much consideration to whether or not they are green. Recently TrendCentral devoted a newsletter to this very topic and featured several designers and products worth talking about.
Lenses
Essilor has introduced the Airwear Lens. Using 100% recycled water in the production process and 100% recycled packaging, Airwear offers a 100% UV protected lens that is lighter and more impact-resistant than standard plastic lenses. The company is also committed to educating their customer on their green initiatives, as well as, how to live greener.
Frames
When German furniture designer, Andreas Licht succumbed to his need for glasses, he began carving his personal frames from wood and a new business category was born. According to the website, "HERRLICHT eyeglasses are crafted entirely from either maple or cherry-wood. No metal or plastic parts for hinges, screws or reinforcements are used in the design." The frames are durable, flexible and underscore individuality.
Chicago based Urban Spectacles takes another approach offering custom designs from wood, recycled record vinyl, recycled bike parts, plastic, metals, etc. The process begins with precise measurements and a collaboration with the customer on preferred shapes and materials. Wooden frames are hand carved and finished with natural wood oil for a durable finish.
I often search ebay or etsy for vintage frames. It is another way to get a unique frame at a reasonable price and the re-use is eco-friendly.
Good for your eyes, good for you Personal Style and Green to boot - No Brainer.
--till next week Restore, Recycle, Refresh & Renew
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12 comments:
Wow, it's awesome that you posted about this because I've been looking for wooden spectacles lately and the styles at Urban Spectacles are beautiful. I think it's great that they're using new materials such as wood and recycled vinyl and bike parts. It's an interesting new twist on making frames. I definitely agree with your last statement, though-- recycled and vintage is best. If it's possible to recycle by using vintage, it's really the best option for the environment.
Not only is buying vintage frames eco-friendly, but it's also easy on your wallet. Why not find two or three sets of frames that you love and have different pairs for different occasions? I think it's a great idea!
I found this to be extremely interesting. I don't buy glasses as an accessory really since I actually need them to see distances. However, I am going to the eye doctor over winter break and I will most likely need new glasses. I love my frames though, and I'm planning on asking if they will be able to just replace the lenses rather than me buying a whole new pair of glasses. If I have to give up these frames, though, I could give them to a second hand store for someone else to love.
I absolutely have to have a pair of HERRLICHT glasses. When I read this, I sent the website to three of my friends as well. Not only are the glasses trendy and unique, I love that they are handcrafted. I have had the same Burberry glasses for 3 years, I just get the lenses changed from time to time when needed. I never thought of them as much of a fashion accessory (I've worn glasses all my life), but these HERRLICHT frames definitely made me want to wear glasses more often.
I really like the wooden frames, that's not something I've seen before. If I had glasses, I would definitely go for ones like that. Another way to go green with glasses is with a 2-in-1 product like
Calvin Klein USB sunglasses, combining stylish shades with a USB flash drive built right into the side of the glasses. It'll be hard to lose your USB when it's attached to your head, eliminating the need to buy replacement ones!
I always love recycled accessories such as jewelry and bags, but I had never seen glasses like the ones from Urban Spectacles before. I absolutely love the wood frames. I always change my style of glasses, but when I do I recycle my glasses rather than just throwing them out. I love this idea though!
I use glasses everyday. I never really thought about the impact they have on the enviornemnt. Vintage frames are not only instyle but eco-friendly. I'm deifnetly going to look for them instead of buying a new pair!
I wish I was a big glasses fan because these Herrlicht glasses sound amazing! I do not need glasses because my eyesight is fine but I still think they are a fun accessory. Maybe i will invest in a fun pair of vintage frames because there is always such a wide variety and they are a lot cheaper also. I also really like the idea of the wood frames. It is different and unique and that is exactly what I like.
I don't wear glasses but this idea is awesome. I like that glasses are seen as an accessory one can get in different styles. I'm totally going to spread the word about Urban Spectacles to my many nearly blind family members and friends
I never really considered if glasses were eco-friendly. I know that when it comes to my glasses, I often reuse my frames and just update my lenses. Since I only wear my glasses on occasion (before bed or when my eyes get irritated from my contacts), I need just one pair of glasses. And since I found a pair that I really like about six years ago, it just makes sense to reuse the frames. If the frames aren't broken, there is no reason to need to replace them. It is good to know that there are now environmentally friendly lenses now though. By putting a greener lens in to my already reused frames, I could create my own pair of green glasses.
I find green eyewear to be a good point, this is definitely more green then the contacts that I constantly interchange and throw away. However, I would not personally focus my efforts so much on developing eco friendly metals for the frames considering the frequency of how often people purchase the frames. I only update my frames at most, every 4 years. If I were really that environmentally conscious, I would just go on ebay. Now lenses, yes I agree, eco friendly options are necessary.
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