The Green Guide

Unearthing the dirt on eco-conscious eyewear products

By Erinn Morgan

No doubt, you've noticed the spike in “green” products at your local supermarket, big box store, department store, and even smaller mom and pop shops. In fact, according to a report conducted by the environmental marketing firm TerrraChoice, the number of “green-identified” products on the market was 73 percent higher in 2010 than it was in 2009.

As green products take off at retail in general, are you simultaneously seeing a growing number of eco-conscious eyewear products in your dispensary? It's unlikely, as many ECPs say there is a dearth of saleable, green frame styles on the market today.

There are high-style frame options with a green pedigree. Images above: Gold and Wood style B16 (top) and Cazal Eyewear style 9028 from Eastern States Eyewear

A rugged wood eyeglass style, Caufield by Drift Eyewear

“It's a growing interest for our customers, but there are very few eco-friendly products out there in our industry today,” says optician Michele Bayle, owner of Seattle-based Wink Eyewear, an optical shop that has, in lieu of eco-friendly products, made green a focus internally with store design, display, and operations.

Some point to a limited interest on the part of the eyewear customer as the reason for the lack of product offerings. “Eyewear is not the first thing that pops into people's minds when they think about eco-friendly products,” says Bayle. “Glasses are just this functional device.”

GREEN IS GOOD

Still, there are more green eyewear choices available today than ever before, ranging from Modo's green-certified Eco line to smaller, boutique companies like Drift, which uses FSA-certified hardwoods.

“Manufacturers have found two sides to the green movement,” says Jeff Endres, The Vision Council's technical director and liaison to the newly established Sustainability Taskforce. “One is related to a desire to be socially conscious and do the right thing and the other is related to the ‘green,' as in dollars, that can be added to their bottom line through green practices and products.”

And while the eyewear customer isn't quite there yet with green consciousness, ECPs say the power of suggestion is highly effective.

“I haven't had anyone ask specifically for eco-friendly eyewear, but when we start the dialogue about a green product we offer, they become interested.”

Wood temples and details are organic frame components. Shown above: Ann Sacks style Masa and Oakley Fuel Cell

Feminine looks with eco-appeal: Juicy Couture styles Fern, Peony, and Jasmine from Safilo (top) and Revo style Transom from Luxottica (below)

The key with green eyewear products is that they still have to deliver on style, quality, and price. “It's not about saving a tree,” says Anthony Gaggi, owner of Anthony Aiden Opticians in New York City. “If it doesn't look good or have good quality, they're simply not interested.”

Adds Shane Palmer, owner of Green Eyewear Optical in Peterborough, Ontario: “Some of the styling, with exception of Modo's Eco line, is not always where it needs to be. This is part of why it hasn't been 100 percent embraced.”

Labrabbit Optics in Chicago has leapt over this issue by creating its own green eyewear assortment by stocking a selection of vintage frames.

“Half of my assortment is comprised of vintage frames, so we are reclaiming things from the past, reusing them, and putting them back out into the world,” reports Labrabbit's owner and optician Coyote DeGroot. Labrabbit's vintage eyeglass and sunglass selection starts at $75 and goes up to $200.

Style is starting to become a much larger consideration in regard to creating green eyewear collections. As a result, the appeal of green eyewear is growing beyond a special-interest audience. Shown (from top): Smith style Chie, Jhane Barnes style Redux5 from Kenmark Optical, Shwood's lineup of wooden sunglasses

“Why pay $400 for a new frame when you can get something really cool from the past and use something that would otherwise get tossed for $75 to $100?” he asks. “It's a good deal and you can feel good about it.”

DeGroot adds that eco-consciousness is turning into a great selling tool for his business. “The green focus is only growing in the public consciousness,” he says, noting, “It really does play a role today.”

HOW ABOUT GREENWASHING?

As with the eco-conscious products available today in all retail sectors, the eyewear industry has experienced greenwashing, which is when companies call their products “green” even if they only feature a small eco-friendly component.

The 2010 “Sins of Greenwashing” report conducted by environmental marketing firm TerrraChoice found some form of greenwashing in more than 95 percent of consumer products that were labeled as “green.” This is actually an improvement over TerraChoice's 2009 report, which found only two percent of studied products free of greenwashing.

“Would I call my company a sustainable company because my business card is printed on recycled paper?” asks Allesandro Lanaro, owner and president of Modo, which offers the Eco eyewear line. “There is and there will be lots of greenwashing in our industry, but at end of day it's all about transparency, credibility, and doing the right thing.”

While there are a number of companies that provide private eco certification for a fee, there are currently no eyewear industry standards to help avoid greenwashing.

“There are currently no ophthalmic standards that address green eyewear,” says Endres. “But, on the manufacturing side, the optical industry is discussing and taking action in areas that are invisible to doctors, dispensers, the end users. Those include waste disposal, recycling, packaging, transportation, and equipment and facilities that use less energy.”

Green sunwear is made from a variety of materials. Shown left: Sires Crown style Dylan Thomas; shown right: Zeal style Flyer

Creating green eyewear requires a commitment to production and manufacturing to ensure that the green label is accurate. Shown (from top): Modo's Eco style 1078 and Urban Spectacles

At Modo, which launched the Eco eyewear line in 2010, Lanaro chose to pursue private certification for the line. “When I decided to start this project, our consultant pushed us to really make sure that we wouldn't leave any open door to criticism and that was the best thing,” he says. “So, I found myself spending a tremendous amount of money and energy to validate my claims.”

They include Modo's claim that Eco frames are made from 95 percent recycled content and the fact that Modo plants a tree via Global Releaf for every Eco frame purchased.

Modo employs UL Environment, a division of UL, the independent, not-for-profit product safety testing and certification organization, to audit the Eco line every six months to get a green product certification. This means auditors go all the way back to Eco's material mills and manufacturing plants to justify the line's claims.

“We are very vulnerable to the fact that UL might tell us we don't pass the audit,” says Lanaro. “I am fine with that and I welcome that; it forces me to constantly be on my toes and do the right thing.” EB