Sustainability and us
We benefit from being the new kids on the block
As a new start-up company it’s easier for us to instil our preferred operating principles right from the start. We can be agile enough to make a real difference now.
For example,
- we’ve appointed a Sustainability Officer
- we source products that are manufactured and shipped in a way that minimises harm to the environment.
- we commit to reducing non-renewable plastic related to anything in our control.
- for those times when there’s no other option, we’ll make sure we create products that are easily recycled
- we cut waste by only buying and shipping what we need to avoid filling warehouses with speculative stock
- where we have to ship, we’ll adopt innovation to reduce the volume of the shipment as much as we can
- we’re a tight-knit team that doesn’t have, or want, a huge office that needs lighting and heating, and who, despite being geographically spread across the globe, happily meet virtually and avoid any unnecessary trave
We design products using more sustainable materials
We do more than just select frames for you; we actually design them from the start ourselves. This means as well as producing beautiful eyewear we decide what material goes into the manufacture of them. That can make a huge difference for our environmental footprint. Our Affinity Eyewear range only uses titanium and bio-acetate, hypoallergenic materials that both have superior sustainable qualities.
Titanium
Initially discovered in 1791 by William Gregor, titanium was so named to honour the Titans in Greek mythology in appreciation of its special strength and durability. Titanium is as strong as steel but much less dense, making it very lightweight. It is an important alloying agent with many metals (for example, aluminium) and, because of their low density, resistance to corrosion and ability to withstand extremes of temperature, these alloys are mainly used in aircraft, spacecraft and missiles.
Given the very impressive qualities below, we naturally consider it an excellent material for frames.
- Durability and longevity Titanium is highly durable and corrosion-resistant, which means products made from titanium have a longer lifespan. This longevity reduces the need for frequent replacements and reduces overall waste.
- Recyclability Titanium is a metal that can be recycled, which helps to reduce the demand for newly mined titanium ores. Recycling titanium requires significantly less energy compared to refining and processing raw titanium materials.
- Low toxicity Titanium is biocompatible and non-toxic, making it suitable for applications where contact with the human body is involved.
- Lightweight Titanium’s lightweight nature means that products made from it can reduce transportation-related energy consumption.
- Resource efficiency Titanium’s strength-to-weight ratio is impressive, which means less material is required to achieve the same structural integrity compared to other materials.
Bio-Acetate
For decades, acetate has been used in the manufacture of glasses and sunglasses. It’s a higher quality type of plastic than the material used in injected moulded frames because it’s stronger, flexible, and more durable. Acetate frames are more resistant to pressure placed upon them and can bend further before breaking (that said, we’d never recommend you put this to the test!). Acetate is lightweight and hypo allergenic, feels less harsh to the touch so is comfortable to wear. And it offers the most opportunities for transparency, beautifully vibrant colours and finishes.
This all sounds great…but there’s an issue here. While acetate is a polymer derived from wood pulp and other natural cotton fibres, the problem is that acetate requires plasticisers within its mix, and these plasticisers are derived from petroleum, so even allowing for its significant benefits, acetate is harmful to the planet.
The qualities of bio-acetate include
- Renewable source Bio-acetate is typically made from plant-derived materials such as cellulose and wood pulp, making it a renewable resource compared to traditional petroleum-based plastics.
- Biodegradability Bio-acetate is biodegradable under certain conditions, which means it can break down naturally in the environment over time. This is in contrast to traditional plastics, which can persist in the environment for hundreds of years.
- Reduced carbon footprint The production of bio-acetate often involves lower carbon emissions compared to petroleum-based plastics since it relies on renewable plant sources.
- Reduced dependency on fossil fuels By using plant-based materials, the demand for fossil fuels (used in the production of traditional plastics) can be reduced.
- Non-toxic Bio-acetate is generally considered non-toxic
We're precious about water
We know that the optical industry relies on water in the production of many of its products. While we’re not manufacturers we take care only to work with those who are responsible operators and who avoid wasting and polluting this precious resource.
We’re responsible members of our industry
We’re members of the Optical Suppliers Association (OSA) and are committed to its Green Charter – a framework for sustainable practice tailored to the specific activities of optical suppliers and a universal benchmark to work towards.
We’re choosy about who we work with
The fact that we’re supply chain specialists rather than manufacturers means that we are very selective about who produces our products. It’s important to us that our supply chain partner has relevant accreditation so that we – and our customers – can feel comfortable sourcing from them. Consequently, we’re delighted to report that our supplier is accredited by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC)
The International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) is a non-profitmaking independent multi-stakeholder initiative and leading certification system supporting sustainable, fully traceable, deforestation-free and climate-friendly supply chains.With its certification, the ISCC contributes to environmentally, socially and economically sustainable production.
The ISCC believes that sustainable supply chains are crucial to fight the most severe impacts of the climate crisis. Its mission is to protect forests, high-carbon stock lands and biodiversity, enable waste utilisation and increase traceability.
Since its inception in 2006, providing robust certification solutions across regions, commodities and markets has been at the heart of ISCC. This is reflected by ISCC’s sustained engagement to provide and develop robust certification solutions, including all kinds of bio-based and recycled materials.