By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, April 25, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—This week, billions around the world celebrated Earth Day. There are, of course, countless ways to celebrate our planet, from heading outside for some time in nature to dedicating yourself to pushing for legislative change that will protect our home. Big or small, every little action makes an important difference in keeping the earth as healthy as possible. For ECPs, Earth Day provides a great opportunity to discuss how we can keep sustainable practices at the forefront of our minds every day, through recycling programs, eco-conscious eyewear choices and so much more. This week, we take a look at how some ECPs celebrated.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Wednesday, April 10, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—Monday’s solar eclipse was a once-in-20-years natural phenomenon that left millions of Americans with a sense of wonder and excitement—and with a pair of eclipse glasses that they have no idea what to do with. With two decades to go until the next major eclipse here in North America, holding onto the protective glasses might not make sense (though, as
USA Today reports, modern eclipse glasses don’t expire, according to the American Astronomical Society), but, thankfully, there are a few ways to recycle or repurpose eclipse glasses that are both sustainably-minded and helpful to others.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, March 28, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—There is less than a month to go until Earth Day, April 22, giving us all plenty of time to prepare for the holiday. This year, the official
Earth Day theme is “Planet vs. Plastics,” an initiative dedicated to demanding a 60 percent reduction in the production of all plastics by 2040. This goal is something the eyewear industry is already getting on board with, as more and more eyewear manufacturers switch to bio-acetates and other natural materials in place of traditional plastics.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Monday, March 11, 2024 8:30 AM
ALEXANDRIA, Va.—
The Vision Council released new research featuring key insights into U.S. consumers’ experiences and preferences when purchasing frames for new glasses. Findings from the report, “Focused inSights 2024 Frame Trends,” underscore the diversity in eyewear preferences and purchase behaviors, highlighting opportunities for the optical industry to tailor product offerings and marketing strategies to meet consumer preferences. Notably, the report showcased just how much consumers value sustainable products and practices.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Monday, March 4, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—When we think about sustainability in our industry, we think about the obvious things: bio-acetates and recycled metals, reducing water usage and collecting contact lens blister packaging for recycling, motion sensor lights in the office, and reducing consumption wherever possible. But sustainability, in the bigger picture, is not about limiting ourselves to what impacts us directly—there are countless other ways to get involved with protecting and promoting our environment.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Wednesday, February 14, 2024 8:30 AM
MILAN—
Mido presented three major awards at its 2024 edition: the BeStore Award, the Stand Up For Green Award and the CSE – Certified Sustainable Eyewear Award. All three, which were presented at the OTTICLUB with Mido president Giovanni Vitaloni and radio host Petra Loreggian, awarded sustainable practices. First was the BeStore Award for Design which went to Anaïs Murith’s LENETA - Concept Store Optique, a Swiss optical center, for its combination of beauty, retro appeal, contemporary aesthetics and responsible selling.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Wednesday, January 31, 2024 8:30 AM
MILAN—The 2024 edition of
Mido kicks off this week, as thousands of members of the optical community make their way to Milan for the annual trade show. As always, the show, which is expected to host about 1,200 exhibitors from around the world, will focus on design, eyewear, eyecare and technology—as well as a renewed and growing focus on sustainability within the industry. On Sunday, February 4, the second day of the show, Mido will launch the 2024 edition of the CSE – Certified Sustainable Eyewear program, which was set up as part of a collaboration between ANFAO and Certottica and honors sustainability in the global eyewear industry.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Wednesday, January 24, 2024 8:30 AM
MUNICH—The 2024 edition of
opti wrapped up in Munich earlier this month, welcoming 21,500 visitors from 70 countries to visit nearly 390 exhibitors. In addition to the trade show’s standard fare, this year also highlighted sustainability in the eyewear space with the first-ever opti Sustainability Award, as well as the third opti BOX award.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, December 28, 2023 8:30 AM
MUNICH—Organizers of the
opti trade show, scheduled for January 12 to 14, 2024 in Munich, are forecasting 400 exhibitors on the show's 44,000 square meters of exhibition space, which will also include four halls. With space for innovation, start-ups, trends, sustainability and promoting young talent, this year’s show will also include special hubs: the Myopia Hub, the Sustainability Hub and the brand new Trend Hub. The
opti Sustainability Hub, supported by Focus, will be located in Hall C4.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, December 14, 2023 8:30 AM
JUPITER, Fla.—
Costa Sunglasses, from EssilorLuxottica, is closing out its 40th anniversary year by releasing its
Second Edition: Protect Report, which showcases the brand’s ongoing commitment to conservation and sustainability. The Second Edition: Protect Report captures Costa’s efforts through 2021 and 2022. The leading story of the Second Edition: Protect Report is Costa’s Marlin Fly Project, covered in the October
edition of
Going Green. The report takes a deep dive into a number of Costa’s initiatives.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, November 30, 2023 8:30 AM
VAUGHAN, Ontario—On November 15, 2023, also known as America Recycles Day, Bausch + Lomb announced that its One by One and Biotrue Eye Care
recycling programs have collected a total of 76,645,000 million units, or 464,100 pounds, of used contact lenses, eye care and lens care materials in the United States. This is equal to the weight of 140 hippos.
By Marjorie Axelrad
Thursday, November 9, 2023 8:30 AM
Sustainability continues to grow in the optical arena. More sustainable eyewear options are available than ever, with companies utilizing sustainable materials for frames, lenses and packaging as well as implementing practices that are more friendly to the environment. Consumers have responded as they do their part in committing to eyewear products with ecologically conscious manufacturing.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Friday, October 27, 2023 8:30 AM
JUPITER, Fla.—
Costa Sunglasses go hand in hand with life on the water for millions of people worldwide—a fact that the team behind Costa does not take for granted. The brand has long been committed to protecting the Earth’s waterways through various means, from beach cleanups to groundbreaking recycling programs—but its most recent project, the Marlin Fly Project, took this commitment somewhere totally new.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, October 12, 2023 8:30 AM
PARIS—At
Silmo 2023, which was held in Paris from September 29 through October 2,
Mykita was awarded the show’s first-ever “Responsible Company” prize, which recognized the eyewear brand’s progress in social and environmental responsibility. The category was assessed by an independent CSR expert jury, and was open to all who exhibited at Silmo Paris this year.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, September 21, 2023 8:30 AM
BANGKOK—Approaching sustainability in-office is a task that requires coming at it from all angles. From small, family-owned and operated, independent ECPs to large, multi-national eyewear and eyecare corporations, all members of the optical community who are dedicated to sustainability will understand that their efforts must span different areas and departments in order to be truly holistic. For large companies like
Hoya Vision Care, a full, dedicated platform helps make this overarching goal more achievable.