PADUA, Italy and TOKYO—On the occasion of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, due to take place from July 23 through Aug. 8, Safilo has announced it will exhibit its recycled plastic sunglasses made exclusively for The Ocean Cleanup at Casa Italia, the headquarters of the Italian National Olympic Committee. Safilo was selected by CONI, the Italian branch of the International Olympic Committee, as “one of a number of key international players able to drive the Olympic storytelling with relation to environmental protection and sustainability, two key topics that will be at the center of the event this year, also in light of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the global trends for sustainable development,” Safilo said in an announcement.

The Ocean Cleanup is a Dutch nonprofit that develops advanced technologies to extract plastic pollution from the oceans. The sunglasses are a limited edition style made from injected plastic removed from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch thanks to an innovative upcycling process. The sunglasses are also available to purchase online; 100 percent of proceeds go to the continuation of the cleanup mission.

Angelo Trocchia, CEO of Safilo Group, said, “Sustainability is an integral part of Safilo's corporate philosophy and is firmly rooted in our business strategy, with the aim of promoting and contributing to a more responsible future for our planet. The Olympics remind us of the mission to build a better world through sport: we are honored to support CONI and the Italian Olympic Team in this edition of the Games and to represent one of the Italian excellences exhibited at Casa Italia thanks to the eyewear produced for The Ocean Cleanup, which was an incredible technological and innovation challenge for us in the reconversion of plastic waste.”