How Ray-Ban is Shifting Towards Sustainability
With climate change becoming a more pressing issue, industries are changing their practices and exploring new offerings to help minimize environmental impact. Fashion is a major culprit in exacerbating the world’s carbon footprint, with an estimated truckload of abandoned clothing and textiles disposed of every second. Fast production cycles, excessive waste, and disposable resource consumption also harm the environment. Eyewear is no exception; the industry also uses a large amount of plastic material and produces much waste.
To combat this issue, major eyewear companies like Ray-Ban are amping up sustainability efforts. The brand’s parent company, EssilorLuxottica, noticed that consumers are increasingly seeking eco-friendly and ethically sourced eyewear options. As such, Ray-Ban is helping meet that demand with eco-friendly products and sustainable practices. Here’s a look into how Ray-Ban is shifting towards sustainability.
Eco-friendly Eyewear
Ray-Ban has long been known for its timeless designs and drive to innovate, and these two come together in its sustainable eyewear. Ray-Ban has ventured into eco-friendly eyeglasses and sunglasses, creating frames made of natural materials that don’t compromise style and comfort. Their models, like the Chad Optics Bio-Based and Kristin Optics Bio-Based, are made with bio-acetate, having 67% bio-based carbon content made of materials like cotton, wood pulp, cereals, beet, and sugar cane. The sunglasses versions of these models are also bio-based, and the brand has also explored making an eco-friendly version of their classic Wayfarer sunglasses model.
By using bio-based materials, Ray-Ban minimizes the amount of plastic and non-renewable materials used in the making of these specs, allowing for a more environmentally friendly product and more eco-conscious production.
Innovations
One of Ray-Ban’s latest innovations is its reverse lenses, which are concave lenses that curve inward toward the wearer’s eye. These lenses allow for a more universal fit that follows the natural curve of the cheekbone. Besides its unique structure and function, these lenses are also bio-based. They’re bio-nylon lenses with 41% bio-based carbon content, boosting the product’s eco-friendliness.
By integrating more sustainable materials into their newer products, Ray-Ban showcases how future innovations will be crafted with more thought to the environment and a stronger commitment to sustainability. Using these sustainable reverse lenses with sustainable frames in collaborations with famous figures also enables more visibility; the brand’s collection with musician and actor Lenny Kravitz features these new lenses, drawing attention by associating the product with a famous figure.
Supply Chain Transparency
Sustainability goes beyond eco-friendly offerings; it also extends to supply chain operations and the treatment of workers. Ray-Ban has aimed to be transparent with its supply chain, adopting a Code of Conduct and a Code of Ethics and holding employees, business partners, and suppliers to comply with these standards.
Those associated with Ray-Ban are required to respect the rights of people’s dignity, health, and safety, as well as behave lawfully and ethically. It also investigates the practices of its suppliers and evaluates whether they are operating lawfully. These efforts also contribute to the sustainability of the brand, ensuring that employees, suppliers, and partners are treated fairly and working ethically.
Ray-Ban still has room for more growth in its sustainability practices, but the increase in eco-friendly products and innovations and its supply chain transparency showcase that the brand is making an effort to address the eyewear industry’s environmental impact. Expanding their eco-friendly product range and using more bio-based materials can help boost Ray-Ban’s sustainable initiatives.