Adopting a sustainable lifestyle has numerous benefits for both the environment and your well-being. For instance, living in a green environment enhances your mood, gives you a sense of purpose, and allows you to live healthily through environmentally friendly practices that reduce the risks of issues like chronic bronchitis, hay fever, and asthma. Opting for more sustainable options like energy-saving appliances at home can also help you cut down on costs.
Living sustainably also includes eco-friendly practices like upcycling, recycling, and maximizing items instead of throwing them away. After all, discarded accessories like eyewear significantly contribute to the yearly accumulation of waste. Data from Earth 911 shows that in North America alone, the eyewear industry contributes to 250 metric tonnes of discarded glasses annually. In a country where 63.7% of adults wear glasses, according to The Vision Council, there’s a high chance that many frames are discarded regularly in the US. Additionally, the process of manufacturing glasses frames can lead to more waste in general, as frames are usually cut out of sheets of acetate, which creates off-cuts that can’t always be reused or recycled.
While eyewear is necessary for health and improving quality of life, it’s nonetheless crucial that people practice more sustainable habits in order to reduce waste and minimize their impact on the environment. If you want to live a more environmentally conscious lifestyle, here are a few tips for maximizing your eyewear for sustainable, long-term use:
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Update instead of buying
Instead of buying new glasses when your prescription lenses become outdated, you can simply replace your lenses with an updated prescription. Updating your prescription ensures that you get to make the most of a pair of frames, helping you avoid discarding old frames and purchasing new ones, which can lead to more waste. However, when updating your prescription, make sure that you’re getting a proper measurement for your pupillary distance (PD), or the distance between the center of one pupil and the center of the other. This is crucial to ensure visual clarity, especially if your prescription has changed over time. PD indicates which part of the lenses you look through, and incorrect measurements or lenses can cause eye strain and visual fatigue, which could possibly lead to another purchase and disposal of your current frames.
Have your frames repaired
Are you dealing with scratched frames, cracked lenses, and general wear and tear? Don’t throw your eyewear away just yet. Instead, have them repaired to extend the life of your specs and avoid unnecessary disposal of frames, which can take millions of years to break down or decompose. Start by caring properly for your eyewear so it lasts longer, such as reducing falls or keeping your frames in a case when not in use in order to minimize scratches and damage. If your eyewear is missing parts or requires more extensive repair, explore your options. You can check out retailers that provide accessible or affordable repair, like Target Optical, which offers extended coverage for your glasses through the Worry-Free Protection Plan. The plan provides one year of free and unlimited repair and replacement beginning on the 91st day of purchase. This sustainable, budget-friendly practice can help your eyewear look brand new.
Opt for extended-use lenses or glasses
Research shows that contact lenses shed microplastics, especially those with shorter lifetimes. The same study found that an estimated 90,000 microplastic particles are potentially shed from contacts used for 10 hours daily. While the impact of microplastics from contacts remains unclear, it’s generally well-known that microplastics can negatively affect the environment, particularly soil and water quality. Although some people might prefer contact lenses over regular eyeglasses frames for a variety of reasons, more sustainable contact lens use is still possible. For instance, you can switch to extended-wear contacts that can be reused for up to a month. With proper care and hygiene, these can be a great alternative to the typical daily disposable lenses. If glasses are an option, you can also switch to those, as a good pair of glasses can last for years. This ensures that you won’t have to dispose of or throw away contacts regularly, which can further contribute to plastic pollution.
Choose durable and sustainable materials
If you’re looking for sustainable eyewear for long-term use, consider purchasing from brands that use durable materials and follow eco-friendly production practices. Opting for sustainable and durable materials is a cornerstone of an eco-friendly lifestyle, and you’re guaranteed long-lasting use that reduces the need to dispose of old frames regularly. For instance, designer brand Ray-Ban, known for its durable and classic frames, uses bio-based materials for its Reverse collection. Its nylon lenses also use 41% bio-based carbon content. Being deliberate about your choice of materials for your eyewear enables you to promote eco-friendly and durable products and reduce your carbon footprint in the long run.
Throwing away your old frames can lead to more accumulated waste. Instead of discarding them, you can practice sustainability by refining your specs to maximize and extend their use. For more tips like this, check out the rest of our articles on sustainable living on EcoFreek.