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Open your eyes to a world of sustainable sunglasses

The fashion industry continues to take a more environmentally friendly approach and accessories are no exception. One category that caught our eye (see what we did there ;) ) is sunglasses. A vital accessory for guests coming to sunny Bawah and incredibly important to protect your eyes in the same way you would your skin.

 

Bawah-reserve-medium-res-5887 Seaplane couple

At Bawah Reserve we have an earth first philosophy and keep sustainability in mind with everything we do. We are always on the lookout for like-minded brands especially for essential items that keep our guests looking stylish while protected on our sunny shores.

 

How can a pair of sunglasses be eco-friendly?

If, like we were, you are asking yourself, “how can a pair of sunglasses be eco-friendly?” let us share our findings and also our favourite eco sunglass brands.

Like many things claiming to be eco-friendly or sustainable there is a lot of confusing and conflicting information out there. From what we have learned the majority of sunglasses are manufactured using cellulose acetate rather than petroleum-based plastic. Cellulose acetate
is a largely natural, renewable and, in principal, a bio-degradable material, providing a slightly eco-friendlier option but a couple of points on this:

  1. The use of cellulose acetate is only typical in more expensive eyewear brands
  2. These plastics can still take up to 10 years to breakdown which is too slow to be officially certified as biodegradable

Many environmentally minded designers have taken the sustainability of sunglass materials to the next level creating new and inventive solutions. Other accessory brands balance their
efforts by being as natural as they can along with creating give back programmes for various earth focused causes.

So the good news is that there are now a lot of sustainable eyewear options out there and here are our top picks:


Wood/Bamboo

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Here at Bawah Reserve we have our own range of wood sunglasses – made from Indonesian sonokelling wood, grown on government- controlled plantations and produced by local craftsmen in Java. The wood has a beautiful dark grain and makes stylish and sustainable
sunnies.


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Often bamboo is another popular choice as it is not only light-weight but also fast growing making it a renewable resource:

We liked Portugese brand Origem who plant five trees for every pair sold.

atacamareflex1_f6bcd57e-5836-4097-b9ca-9a97d783a821_620x                                                Image:  Origem 

Also Panda’s  promise of using “sustainable materials that are kind to the environment”  resonated with us.  Two more brands to look out for are Grown Eyewear and Woodhoy,  both from Australia and only using durable bamboo and hardwoods such as maple, ebony and walnut for their sunglasses.

Grown Eyewear

Image: Grown Eyewear


Alternative Sustainable Materials

There are some very inventive alternative materials for sunglass frames out there.
Being a marine conservation area, we loved Sea2see whose frames are made from recycled marine waste. 

Sea2see Sunglasses

Image: Sea2See

Similarly, W.R Yuma -  who are using river waste to create their stylish shades.
Ochis coffee eyewear use coffee, flax and natural oils to produce their sustainable range. 

The creativity and resourcefulness is inspiring - we discovered Costa del mar using old fishing nets, Skrap using recycled skateboards and Vinylize  using old records.

Bauhaus_Vinylize-glasses-1

Image: Vinylize


Best of both – Eco-Brands that also give back

One of the best things we discovered is that not only are these brands using sustainable materials but nearly all the brands also give a percentage of their sales back to worthy causes.

truth-and-all-zerrinstudio69

Image: Truth and All

  • Wildwood Eyewear partners with The Eden Reforestation Projects, and for every product they sell they plant up to 10 trees.
  • Iwantproof contributes $10 from each purchase to their “Do Good program” that works with a number of good causes.
  • Singapore brand Truth and All  give back 15% of their profits to projects that create a more sustainable world.
  • Pala Eyewear are providing grants directly to eye-care projects across Africa.
  • Sunski donates one percent of sales to environmental non-profits through 1% for the planet.
  • Crann donates 2 euros per order to the native woodland trust.

With so many chic and sustainable eyewear options available this is one accessory where it is easy to go green.

Looking for additional sun protection? Check out our guide to reef-friendly sunscreens. 

 

If you would like to visit Bawah Reserve for your holiday please do send us an enquiry here:

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Wellbeing Trends for 2024

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We are often asked about the best time of year to schedule a trip to Bawah Reserve.Which...

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