Eco Friendly Glasses

Eco Friendly Glasses

My glasses have a story behind them/Wearing these glasses could help save the ocean

There is no escaping the topic of Climate Change these days. Extreme weather is wreaking havoc and causing mass devastation globally.

Because of Ireland’s location we may be lucky enough to escape the devastation of increased superstorms and tsunamis that are caused by increased global warming but, as an island, we face sea level rise and the risk of increased flooding. We have a significantly higher greenhouse gas exposure than most other EU member states.

It seems to have spiralled it out of control and it’s hard to see how each of us can do something individually that will make a difference.

OpticalRooms, are asking ourselves the same question and trying to find a way to help our patients choose responsibly. Having extensively researched the options available in our industry, we have affiliated ourselves with a novel approach, a worldwide example of a circular economy that recycles marine plastic and converts it into high quality glasses and sunglasses, “upcycling” the ocean.

Did you know, every second more 225kg of plastic make their way into our oceans, thereby affecting eco systems, marine life, the food chain and the very air we breathe. It is estimated that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050! Sea2See, based in Barcelona, work with Catalonian fishermen across the region to bring in an average of 1,000 kgs of abandoned gear and plastic every few days. The waste consists of discarded plastic fishing nets and the rubbish that has gathered within them. There are an estimated 373 deaths per day (seals, dolphins, sea lions, whales etc) due to this abandoned and discarded fishing gear. The waste collected is sent to a factory to be hand separated, cleaned and a selection is made of plastic waste to be recycled. The plastic materials that can’t be used to make the frames are passed on to other companies who can make use of them. Between 9 and 10 kgs are needed to make each stylish frame. The plastic waste is transformed from 100% waste to beautiful handmade frames made in Italy.

OpticalRooms are delighted to aline our CSR initiatives with this innovative organisation that is committed to tackling the epidemic of ocean pollution. Around the globe, consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious and expect ecologically friendly materials, a conservation minded use of resources, reduced emission of pollutants and greater social commitment. This range of glasses offer sustainable solutions to contribute to the conservation of the ocean.

And here’s another reason to choose them… recently media coverage of the fires in the Amazon rain forest used the nickname “the lungs of the planet” when referring to the rain forest which produces 20% of the oxygen in our planet’s atmosphere. However, scientists believe that phytoplankton (tiny ocean plants that live near the water’s surface and drift with the currents) contribute up to 85% of the oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere! We should be paying more attention to the ocean and protecting this valuable resource.

Buying the glasses helps remove waste from the water, which in turns helps the eco systems, marine life and the food chain. It also helps encourage growth of the phytoplankton ocean plants which, in turn, can help to produce more oxygen which would assist in the battle to restore the Ozone layer and reduce global warming. Could there be a better reason than that? Have you found any other product that can have such an enormous impact on the overall health of our planet?

“Envision the change you want to see and wear it!” Social and environmental issues often seem too big to tackle. This is your opportunity to make a choice and reduce the carbon footprint on our planet.

Do good. Look good. Feel good.

Sea2See Sustainable Eyewear

It is said that by 2050 oceans are expected to contain more plastics than fish. Ghost fishing which accounts for more than 10% of all that plastic pollution is among the biggest culprits of deaths and contamination in our oceans.

By upcycling sea plastic and discarded fishing nets into premium eyewear, Sea2See prevent ocean plastic contamination and ghost fishing.