“Sustainability really is at the heart of everything we are doing”

Eyewear company Eyespace has introduced a sustainability element into every one of its collections, Emily Andrews, product director and chief sustainability officer at the company told OT during 100% Optical 2023.

This means that up to 22% of all eyewear models produced by the business have a sustainable element to them.

Speaking about the importance of sustainability for Eyespace, Andrews shared: “For Eyespace, sustainability really is at the heart of everything we are doing at the moment.”

She added: “What we have incorporated into this year’s collection is to really look at frames that follow the trends, but also have sustainability built right into them, making sure we are being the best that we possibly can be.”

Eyespace has a number of sustainable initiatives in operation throughout the company, with Andrews confirming that it is currently continuing to look at the frames and materials it is using. She confirmed that the company introduced biodegradable frame bags “several years ago,” and is now introducing biodegradable demo lenses.

“[Biodegradable demo lenses] is already in any product that is sustainable, but we are trying to put them into other models, as well and trying to absorb the cost as it is so important to us,” Andrews told OT.

Educating practitioners about sustainability and its products is important to Eyespace so in turn they can talk to patients about it too. As a result, the company has been running CPD for its customers to reinforce this.

Andrews emphasised: “The more the practices support it and buy these models, the more that the prices will come down and they will become more affordable, and we will be able to pass onto our suppliers that there really is this huge demand in the market for this type of product.”