Have you ever strolled along a beautiful beach only to be disheartened by the sight of plastic waste scattered across the sand? Or perhaps you’ve seen heartbreaking images of our oceans choked with debris?
I have, and it made me realize that I was part of the problem. Determined to make a change, I decided to start with the small things that could make a big difference in our fight against pollution. One simple yet positive change? Choosing sustainable sunglasses.
To kick things off, here’s an interesting fact about sunglasses that I didn’t know, and I bet you didn’t either:
In the 19th century, wearing sunglasses became fashionable as a way to indicate that the wearer had syphilis, an STD that increases sensitivity to light when left untreated. Bizarrely, donning shades signaled that the person was sexually active, making sunglasses a status symbol during that time period.
So here’s my idea: why not make sustainable sunglasses the next fashionable status symbol?
When Are Sunglasses Considered Sustainable?
Sustainable sunglasses are stylish and planet-friendly. They’re crafted from eco-friendly materials like recycled PET bottles, wood, bamboo, or bio-acetate, instead of harmful plastics. These shades are made to last, reducing waste by avoiding flimsy frames that break easily.
The production process focuses on ethical practices, fair labor, and minimal waste, as traditional eyewear manufacturing wastes up to 75% of materials.
When your shades do reach the end of their life, they’re often biodegradable or recyclable, ensuring a smaller environmental footprint. Many brands also ensure their sunglasses are vegan, cruelty-free, and transparently produced.
Here are the Top 9 Sustainable Sunglasses Brands
If you’re on the hunt for stylish and eco-friendly shades, check out these 9 sustainable sunglasses brands. Finding the perfect pair that’s both cool and kind to the planet is easier than you think!
SOLO Eyewear
SOLO Eyewear’s frames are made from sustainable materials like bamboo and recycled plastic. Whether you’re hitting the beach or just rocking them around town, these sunglasses come with polarized lenses that offer 100% UV protection—no more squinting in the sun! Plus, if you need prescription lenses, they’ve got you covered with select frames.
What sets SOLO Eyewear apart is its commitment to social impact. Every purchase helps restore vision for someone in need. Through partnerships with organizations like the Aravind Eye Care System and Restoring Vision, SOLO donates 10% of their profits to fund eye exams, glasses, and cataract surgeries. So, when you’re sporting those shades, you know you’re making a difference.
And it doesn’t stop there. SOLO collaborates with local artists to create unique hand-painted temple designs, adding a personal touch to your eyewear. Plus, the frames are named after countries where they’ve helped fund eye care initiatives—talk about a global impact!
Worried about your purchase? Fear not! SOLO offers free shipping and returns in the US, making it easy to get the perfect pair. With prices ranging from $59 to $99, these eco-friendly sunnies won’t break the bank. So, why not grab a pair and see the world a little clearer while doing some good?
Sunski
When exploring sustainable sunglasses, Sunski stands out for its environmental responsibility and stylish designs. You can look cool and be eco-friendly with Sunski.
Their frames are made from ‘Superlight,’ a recycled polymer from post-industrial scrap plastic, turning trash into treasure. Accessories use RPET, a recycled polyester, and packaging is made from origami-folded recycled cardboard.
Sunski is a certified Climate Neutral brand, offsetting its carbon footprint, and is a member of 1% for the Planet, donating 1% of sales to environmental non-profits. They offer a lifetime warranty and replacement lenses, ensuring durability and reducing landfill waste.
Sunski features retro-inspired designs suitable for any adventure, with various lens types and colors, including polarized options. They also sell sustainable accessories like hats and travel cases.
While their labor practices need improvement, Sunski remains a top choice for eco-conscious shoppers seeking stylish, planet-friendly sunglasses.
Ballo
Ballo, a Cape Town-based brand, crafts stylish unisex sunglasses from recycled and upcycled materials, offering not just cool looks but also a planet-saving impact. With sunglasses made from recycled paper, hemp, wood offcuts, and fabric scraps, Ballo delivers the ultimate eco-friendly fashion statement.
What’s even cooler is their zero-waste production model, where leftover bits are repurposed into other products like laptop stands, earrings, and flower pots. Ballo’s commitment to sustainability earned them a certified B Corporation status, showcasing their dedication to environmental performance and accountability.
Each pair of Ballo sunglasses is handcrafted in Cape Town by skilled artisans using vintage equipment from the 1960s, ensuring a unique, personal touch absent in mass-produced items.
As a carbon-neutral company, Ballo offsets their emissions and plants a tree for every pair sold through their partnership with GreenPop. Their packaging is made from recycled materials, and they offer carbon-neutral shipping.
Inspired by nature, their designs include unique styles like the ‘Olive,’ shaped like an olive, and the ‘Ubuntu Vision’ collection, a collaboration with the United Nations raising awareness about climate change.
Woodzee
Woodzee crafts stylish sunglasses from renewable and recycled materials, perfect for those seeking unique, eco-friendly eyewear. They stand out by using plant-based biodegradable plastics, recycled wood, and even old skateboards. Imagine rocking shades made from a skateboard that once shredded the streets—how cool is that?
Each pair of Woodzee’s recycled skateboard sunglasses is one-of-a-kind, showcasing the unique wear, graphics, and colors of the boards. Their commitment to sustainability extends beyond the frames, using recycled paper for packaging and brushed cotton for pouches.
Woodzee also offers a Recycle Program where you can send back old sunglasses for a 50% discount on your next pair. They repair and reuse the materials, reducing waste and keeping their eco-friendly promise—a win-win for you and the planet.
Design-wise, Woodzee captures California vibes with styles named after specific locations in the Golden State, whether you’re chilling at the beach or hiking in the mountains.
Their slogan, “Style & Nature,” sums up their philosophy of fusing style, craftsmanship, and eco-consciousness, making a positive impact on the planet while keeping you effortlessly cool.
Sea2See
Sea2See revolutionizes eyewear by transforming marine plastic waste into stylish, sustainable sunglasses and optical frames. Founded in 2015 by François van den Abeele, the brand is dedicated to combating ocean plastic pollution and promoting a circular economy, making a statement with every pair.
Using Upsea, a unique recycled marine plastic polymer, Sea2See crafts frames from discarded fishnets and ropes collected by coastal fishing communities. Produced in Italy, these frames ensure high quality. They also offer Swiss-made timepieces from recycled marine plastic.
With each purchase, Sea2See removes 1 kg of plastic from the ocean and supports marginalized coastal communities by providing income through plastic waste collection.
Serious about eco-credentials, Sea2See is a B Corp Certified company and has been carbon negative since 2021, offsetting more emissions than they produce.
Their product range extends to sports sunglasses for land and water activities, with plans to empower African communities and enter the US market. Keep an eye out for Sea2See — your next pair of sunglasses could be saving the planet!
Ecotech Eyeglasses
Looking for eco-friendly and customizable sunglasses? Ecotech Eyeglasses is perfect for making a fashion statement while protecting the planet.
Their sunglasses are made from plant-based bio-acetate, free of harmful chemicals like phthalates, and feature reclaimed steel temples. The ‘Zero Solder Point’ hinge design avoids lead and cadmium, enhancing their eco-friendliness.
Ecotech Eyeglasses excels in customization, offering choices in frame and lens colors, sizes, and styles. Their bespoke service lets you create a pair tailored to your needs, including options for polarized, mirror-coated, blue light blocking, and prescription lenses.
Committed to sustainability, their Ultra G collection reduces carbon emissions, and they plan to move production from China to the USA to further cut their carbon footprint. A percentage of each sale goes to the Helen Keller Foundation to combat Vitamin A deficiency.
With prices ranging from $89 to $249 and an extended warranty, Ecotech Eyeglasses offers stylish, eco-conscious sunglasses for everyone.
Tens
Tens offers eco-friendly, stylish sunglasses crafted from plant-based acetate, reducing environmental impact. Made from wood pulp and natural cotton fibers, their sunglasses are biodegradable, avoiding landfill clogging.
Inspired by professional photography, Tens’ lenses enhance vision with rich, warm tones and provide 100% UVA and UVB protection.
Designed in Scotland and developed in Lyon, France, Tens prioritizes ethical production with a European-based supply chain.
They collaborate with Scottish charity Tiny Changes to raise awareness about youth mental health, showcasing a commitment beyond profits.
Their unisex frames, like the Bronson model, blend sustainability and fashion with scratch and impact-resistant lenses, ensuring you look good while making a difference.
Proof Eyewear
Proof Eyewear blends sustainability and style by crafting sunglasses from eco-friendly materials like reclaimed wood and biodegradable acetate. Wearing Proof shades means making a fashion statement and a planet-friendly choice.
Their Wood collection uses responsibly sourced wood from their own sawmill in America, while the Acetate collection features biodegradable acetate derived from cotton. The Aluminum collection repurposes recycled aluminum, giving old materials new life.
Proof Eyewear is committed to ethical production, ensuring safe working conditions and fair treatment of workers by closely monitoring their suppliers in China. They donate 12% of their annual profits to ‘Do Good’ projects, providing eye care, dental care, and free glasses to those in need, supporting causes from tsunami relief to building eye clinics in India.
Proof sunglasses offer excellent UV protection and polarized lenses, available in a variety of styles and colors. Join the eco-friendly eyewear revolution with Proof Eyewear.
Dick Moby
Founded in 2014 by surfers Robbert Wefers Bettink and Tim Holland, Dick Moby is a Dutch sustainable eyewear brand dedicated to combatting plastic pollution with stylish, eco-friendly sunglasses and optical frames. Their journey began after a 2012 surf trip where they witnessed the devastating amount of plastic pollution in the ocean, inspiring them to create a waste-free world.
Dick Moby’s eyewear is exceptionally eco-friendly, crafted from 97% recycled acetate for black frames or bio-based biodegradable acetate derived from wood pulp and plant-based plasticizers. Their sunglasses break down naturally within 115 days under ideal conditions, offering both style and sustainability.
Even their accessories receive the green treatment, with cases and cleaning cloths made from recycled materials like leather and plastic bottles, contributing to planet-friendly practices.
Using high-quality ZEISS optics, Dick Moby sunglasses provide 100% UV protection and feature anti-scratch and anti-reflection coatings, ensuring excellent protection and clarity.
Handcrafted in Italy with sustainable materials sourced in Europe, Dick Moby glasses save significant resources compared to industry norms. Producing 1000 frames with their methods saves 924 kWh of energy, 579 pounds (263 kg) of CO2 emissions, and approximately 1,320 gallons (5000 liters) of water.
Finish Your Sustainable Look
Now that you’ve found the perfect pair of sustainable sunglasses, why not complete your eco-friendly ensemble with some stylish clothing? Sustainable fashion isn’t just about accessories; it’s about making conscious choices from head to toe.
Sustainable Clothing for Men
When it comes to sustainable clothing for men, you can find a range of stylish, eco-friendly options that don’t compromise on quality or design.
From comfy tees by Patagonia to Tentree’s tree-planting mission, these brands are all about style with a conscience. Check out Pact for cozy basics, Taylor Stitch for durable denim, and Rapanui for eco-conscious designs.
Looking for laid-back vibes? Outerknown has you covered. Want timeless pieces? Asket’s got what you need. And for ultimate comfort, try Boody’s bamboo fabric basics.
So next time you’re dressing up, why not choose clothes that care about the planet? Let’s make a difference—one sustainable tee at a time.
Sustainable Clothing for Women
Let’s also talk about sustainable fashion for the ladies, shall we? It’s time to shake up your wardrobe with some eco-friendly vibes! Think about brands like Pact, Patagonia, Outerknown, Reformation, and ASKET.
They’re not just about looking good; they’re about doing good for the planet too. From organic materials to fair trade practices, they’re making waves in the fashion industry. So, why not join the movement?
Sustainable Clothing for Kids
When it comes to sustainable clothing for kids, there are some fantastic options out there too. Brands like Bounce Mkt, Nixnut, and Ten Little are leading the way in creating stylish, eco-friendly clothes for little ones.
With organic cotton, non-toxic dyes, and fair trade production, these brands prioritize both the well-being of children and the planet. So why not dress your little fashionistas in clothes that make a positive impact? It’s never too early to teach them about sustainability!
So, there you have it! Choosing sustainable sunglasses isn’t just about looking cool—it’s about making a difference.
Remember, every small choice adds up, and your sunglasses can be a part of that.
So when enjoying that bright life, you should at least enjoy some good glasses. Next time you’re out in the sun, stay shady and sustainable!
