I've scoured the internet to find the most fashionable and most sustainable sunglasses on the market, so you don't have to! You're welcome.
Say goodbye to the plastic waste of conventional sunglasses and hello to the world of sustainable eyewear. These 7 environmentally friendly sunglasses brands are ditching virgin plastic to embrace recycled and biodegradable materials!
1. Monokel Eyewear
Stockholm, Sweden
Offers Prescription lenses: NO
$$$
Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Monokel Eyewear is a unisex sunglass label handcrafting eco friendly sunglasses for the fashion forward.
Their frames are carefully slow crafted over the course of three months from a plant based material called bio acetate. While simplicity and functionalism are the core design philosophies behind Monokel, their lenses manage to be effortless cool, carrying a sort of retro lofi aesthetic. They also don't skim on quality, applying anti-scratch and anti-reflective treatment with 100% UVA/UVB protection to each lens.
At an average price point of about $170 USD, these bad boys start at a higher price point than most others on this list. That being said, slow fashion is an investment, and if you plan on wearing and rewearing for a long time coming, a quality pair of shades handcrafted from an ethically minded independent brand is well worth the higher price tag.
2. Bonnie Clyde
Los Angeles, California, USA
Offers Prescription Lenses: NO
$$$
Another brand for the cool kids on the block, LA's Bonnie Clyde creates eco friendly eyewear for those of us with a bold style persona.
This sustainable sunglasses brand (priced at an average of $160 USD) merges generational manufacturing experience, contemporary culture, and timeless sensibilities into one drool worthy package for their trend setting selection of biodegradable cotton acetate, titanium, and stainless steel frames. All with 100% UVA/UVB high-impact performance lenses, of course.
Bonnie Clyde offers that eco friendly alternative that us fashion risk takers have been waiting for! Gone are the days where edgy eyewear must come at the cost of environmental values. With Bonnie Clyde, we have our cake and eat it too.
3. Archer Eyewear
Canberra, Australia
Offers Prescription Lenses: NO
$$
This one's for the hikers and the surfers, the eco conscious who love for their fashion to embody that natural look that visually aligns with their environmentally friendly lifestyles.
Archer Eyewear is a family run brand based in Canberra, Australia. These eco friendly sunglasses take a different approach to sustainability than most others on this list, opting for wooden frames over the increasingly popular bio acetate! I know your concern, "save the trees!", but you'll thrilled to learn that with each pair of shades sold, a native tree is planted! They're also partnering with Carbon Neutral Australia in an effort to assist in biodiverse regeneration.
More recently, Archer began incorporating recycled materials into their design process, adding a line of handcrafted recycled plastic frames to their selection.
With a laid back style, comfortable fit, and a more inclusive price point than many other high quality sunglasses brands (prices averaging at $100 USD), Archer Eyewear is the perfect go to for those after classic frames with an earthy twist.
4. Crap Eyewear
Los Angeles, California, USA
Offers Prescription Lenses: NO
$$
I'll level with you. I think the name of this independent brand is f*cking stupid.
However, they're rolling in cold hard cash while my retirement currently has $0 sitting inside of it, so who am I to criticize Crap Eyewear's stand out branding? Maybe if I changed my brand name from "Sydney Duncan" to "More Useless Shit" I might sell an extra scarf or two here and there.
Regardless, I've got no notes to give on the sustainable materials used to craft these stylish shades (I'm sure this company, who have amassed nearly 200k followers on instagram, and have been worn by Rihanna, will be relieved to hear that. Let me know in the comments @crapeyewear). This funky bioactive eyewear is handmade from biodegradable materials, is climate neutral certified, and hits the style nail on the head!
Crap Eyewear is not only lowering their carbon footprint, but is also leveling the price playing field, making their glasses available at much more affordable price (average $100 USD) than most quality sunglasses on the market.
5. Ozeano Vision
Sydney, Australia
Offers Prescription Lenses: YES
$$
Ozeano Vision's sustainable plant based eyewear is making an environmental impact to marvel at.
Their environmental initiatives are many, but to keep things short I'll just mention a few. With every pair of shades sold, Ozeano Vision funds the removal of a whopping 6kg of marine litter from our oceans and waterways. This is equivalent to over 500 plastic bottles, just so you have a visual. They're certified B Corporation, and gold-standard members of the '1% for the planet' organization. On top of all of that, their business model accounts for a circular economy, which means that you can return your used sunglasses at any time to receive 25% off your next purchase, ensuring that their sunglasses never go to waste.
Ozeana's affordable glasses (most priced at $99) range from blue light and polarized lenses, prescription sunglasses, and even standard prescription eyeglasses. Their design method combines traditional artisanal methods with cutting edge innovation to insure that their handmade eyewear is produced from the finest natural materials on earth.
6. Pala
United Kingdom
Offers Prescription lenses: YES
$$
The most philanthropic company on the list, this sustainable brand merges eco friendly practices with outstanding humanitarian outreach.
At Pala, they are committed to always putting people and the planet front and centre of their decision making. Through providing grants directly to vision centers, dispensaries and screening and training programs, as well as through their "buy one, give one" business model, Pala employs access to vision care to empower individuals and fight poverty in Africa, home to 73% more visually impaired people than any other region in the world.
As far as the glasses themselves go, Pala keeps carbon emissions low by working exclusively with eco friendly materials like Bio acetate and recycled plastic, each pair crafted in Norther Italy. Their price point isn't particular low, nor particularly high, with most selling at about $155 USD. Keep in mind that, that extra price bump is exactly the margin fueling their social impact! Well worth it, I'd say.
7. Ffin Eyewear
Wales
Offers Prescription Lenses: NO
$$$
For those with a bigger budget, and with a taste for lesser known emerging brands, Ffin Eyewear offers an intriguing selection.
This fine art sunglasses brand is designed in Wales and produced in Italy. Ffin uses only the finest bio acetate on the market, a variant created by Mazzucchelli, a famous family run Company in Italy stemming back 6 generations.
With prices nearing $600 USD, this is a brand for serious sunglasses connoisseurs.
Eco Friendly Sunglasses Honorable Mentions
If my nothing on my top 7 list suits your aesthetic, try scoring a pair of sunglasses from one of my equally admirable runner ups.
Proof Eyewear is known for their wooden and recycled aluminum frames. They also have a recycling program to responsibly dispose of your old frames!
This brand works with 95% sustainable materials, including recycled ocean plastic, recycled metal, and bio based castor seed oil.
This brand incorporates recycled skateboards into many of their frames! They've also got their own glasses recycling program, offering participating customers an impressive 50% off their next order.
This creative brand is doing their best to make the most of a bad situation, crafting their sunglasses from the recycled plastic water bottles still accumulating from the ongoing Flint, Michigan water crisis.