VisionPlus Se Asia

NEUBAU are known to use Natural PX & Natural 3D to make their eyewear. TITANIUM Titanium can also be considered as a sustainable material, because it does not deteriorate, it can be used forever and is easy to recycle. Due to its high strength and low density, products can be made small and light which avoids the unnecessary use of energy resources. OTHER MATERIALS Wood and bamboo are also considered as sustainable materials, but they require some processing to take on the qualities usually looked for in frames. Other natural materials require less processing but also run into problems. German brand Hoffmann Natural Eyewear is known for its use of horn and values the animal product for its sustainable qualities alongside its heritage as one of the oldest frame materials in the world. Experimental frame materials which emphasise sustainability have been explored recently. Hemp Eyewear, which produces frames made mostly from the quintessential eco- friendly material hemp, have recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund its handmade frames. WHERE ARE WE HEADED? Environment-conscious consumers are somewhat spoilt for choice for eco- friendly frame materials. Cost and material properties are obviously an important factor, but there’s an encouraging number of users for this category Environmental purists may find problems with some frame materials but the majority should be happy with abundant options for style and shape in biodegradable materials like bio-acetate and wood, or in recycled plastics. Pratik Bhatt (CEO - SevenX Eyewears) RECYCLED PLASTIC BOTTLES Making eyewear from recycled plastic found in ocean debris is another way of making eyewear and thus helping clear marine waste and in the process enrichening marine lives. Today brands like Sea2See and Oceanides, a Spanish startup, are doing some great work making eyewear out of marine waste. NATURAL PX AND NATURAL 3D NaturalPX and Natural 3D are both bio based plastics made from renewable castor oil, opposite to non-renewable petroleum-based resources that are damaging to the environment. At the moment, biobased plastics only make up 0.5% of all manufactured plastics world-wide. So it’s obvious that there’s still a long way to go in developing and utilising materials that do not deplete the planet’s precious mineral resources. Brands like WOOD AND BAMBOO ARE ALSO CONSIDERED AS SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS, BUT THEY REQUIRE SOME PROCESSING TO TAKE ON THE QUALITIES USUALLY LOOKED FOR IN FRAMES IMAGE COURTESY : WWW.SEA2SEE.ORG 22 VISION PLUS SE ASIA EDITION