27 March 2026
Specsavers has been recognised for its environmental efforts after winning the Green Initiative of the Year Award at the Retail Week Awards, highlighting its progress in reducing the environmental impact of its ophthalmic lens production.
The award acknowledges an initiative focused on minimising the footprint associated with Specsavers manufacturing approximately 51 million lenses annually, which it has achieved through a redesign of its manufacturing and stock processes.
Tracy Pellett, group sustainability and business transformation director at Specsavers, said: “We’re absolutely delighted for Specsavers to get this recognition, as we have made great strides in the last 18 months with our People, Planet and Community ambitions.
“To receive this prestigious award when up against such strong competition across the retail sector is even more encouraging and shows we’re moving firmly in the right direction.”
Central to the initiative is the introduction of ‘optimised pucks’ across semi-finished blank ranges, which has been introduced by the company’s ophthalmic lenses team in collaboration with suppliers and laboratories. The approach enables two manufacturing options: a thicker lens for around 20% of higher-prescription jobs, and a thinner lens for all other prescriptions.
The changes have resulted in a 50% reduction in hard-to-recycle swarf waste per lens over a 12-month period. It has also improved logistics efficiency, allowing more pucks to be shipped per container, Specsavers said.
Suppliers have also reported benefits, including reduced manufacturing times and lower energy usage per lens, alongside decreased packaging volumes, improved water efficiency, increased container fill rates, and more efficient use of machinery.
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