Respectacle Company remains committed to eco-friendly practices and materials
Here at Respectacle Company, we have always strived to do our bit for the environment. We are conscious of the impact waste can have on the environment and therefore, we are constantly looking for ways to reduce what goes into landfill. We also focus on recycling and repurposing items wherever possible.
Eco friendly and environmental issues are very much in the fore front of everyone’s minds these days. However, it’s unfortunate that some companies jump on the sustainability bandwagon and make false claims about being eco-friendly. But if you delve a little deeper, you may find that their manufacturing process is not as environmentally sustainable as they claim.
We all have a responsibility to protect the environment
At Respectacle Company, we take environmental issues seriously. We believe that it’s our responsibility to do whatever we can to protect the environment. So, we are committed to using eco-friendly practices and materials when available and feasible.
Now, we do not profess to be the cheapest eyewear retailer in the area, nor do we aspire to be one. Our focus is on quality rather than quantity. Many people wear low-cost eyewear for a brief period and then, when the frames become damaged or the lenses scratched, they dispose of them in landfill and buy another cheap, poor-quality pair. We’re certainly not here to judge anyone’s actions if that’s what they choose to do. But it’s not the ethos of Respectacle Company.
Good quality eyewear is worth the investment
You see, we believe that eyewear is an investment. That’s why we offer eyewear that can be easily reglazed if the frame has been looked after and is in good condition. This means that you can reuse the frame and put in new lenses as your prescription changes. By doing this, you can save money in the long run as you only have to pay for a new pair of lenses and not a new frame.
We can also refresh spectacle frames for you. Over time, the oils from our skin can react with acetate frames, which will make them look dull. However, the good news is, we can repolish them to bring them back to life. And, if you have FEB31st wooden frames, we can re-oil them to restore the original lustre of the wooden layers.
Feb31st Eyewear
Feb31st Sustainable Eyewear
FEB31st and Project Uganda: frames made from tree bark
We also make a point to source eco-friendly eyewear that meets high-quality standards. One such brand we carry is FEB31st, an Italian eyewear manufacturer that creates its products from layers of wood harvested from FSC-approved plantations. FEB31st is known for its commitment to sustainability, and we have featured them in our blogs before. But what you may not know is that they have recently partnered with Meeting Point International on an initiative designed to push the boundaries of sustainable eyewear manufacturing.
They discovered that women in the Kireka township in Central Uganda were harvesting the bark from local Fiscus Natalensis trees, which they then pound into a bark/cloth material. FEB31st will be using this material to create frames, ensuring the trees continue to grow and regenerate every five years to be harvested again. The profits from this project are being reinvested in local schools and medical centres. You can’t get much more sustainable than that!
We also stock a British eyewear brand called Coral Eyewear. Founded in 2019, they use materials recycled from abandoned fishing nets rescued from the world’s oceans. Coral ships its eyewear in recyclable packaging and offsets shipping costs against carbon-neutral delivery systems.
Coral Eyewear
Coral Eyewear
We recycle old spectacles, sunglasses, and unused contact lenses
Did you know that we recycle old spectacle and sunglasses frames too? In partnership with Lions Club International, we send our used eyewear to their main offices. They then clean, regrade, and distribute the eyewear to countries in need around the world.
And we also recycle unused contact lenses. We collaborate with a company that collects our unused contact lenses and their packaging. The lenses and packaging are sorted, shredded, and washed. They are then turned into hard granules and used to make new plastic products.
We’re always looking for ways to help our environment. As soon as we find some more, we’ll let you know. In the meantime, we would like to invite you to our optical store to explore our eco-friendly collections from FEB31st, Coral Eyewear, and other brands. Our store is open from Tuesday to Saturday, between 9 am and 5 pm on weekdays, and until 4 pm on Saturdays. We look forward to your next visit!
Further reading:
How we choose the eyewear brands we stock
Introducing Coral Earth: A new collection from Coral Eyewear
What’s new from FEB31st eyewear
