Page 8 - Envision - July/August 2020

Cover Story
By JoAnne Sommers

FromWaste

WOW

to

SUSTAINABLE EYEWEAR MAKES A

SPLASH

magine an ocean full of discarded This approach to eyewear creation
plastic bottles, abandoned fishing nets resonates with many ‘conscious’ consumers,
and other garbage. Now imagine that especially younger ones, who are looking
plastic waste transformed into high- for products that align with their personal
Iquality, sustainable eyeglasses and beliefs.
sunwear. That’s the vision of Sea2see
Eyewear, a Barcelona-based company in Meet the 2020 Consumers Driving
the vanguard of the sustainable eyewear Change, a recent study by IBM, found
movement. that one-third of global consumers aged
18-73 would abandon even their favourite
Sustainable eyewear producers, like brand if it didn’t match their personal
Sea2see and other companies featured values. They will pay more and change their
in our sidebar, A Guide to Eco-friendly buying habits for brands that do.
Eyewear Producers, demonstrate their
concern for the environment by using One commonly cherished value is
sustainable or recycled materials and sustainability. IBM’s research found that
manufacturing processes (see Materials nearly 70 per cent of North American
sidebar). They also adopt ethical labour respondents consider it important that a
practices and often commit to doing brand is eco-friendly. Sixty-nine per cent
something for the wider community, such will pay a premium for recycled products
as pollution cleanup or tree planting. and more than half said they’re ready to

6 / JULY — AUGUST 2020 / www.ENVISIONMAGAZINE.ca /