“Sustainability is no longer an expectation but an obligation to our planet and future generations.”

Did you know that almost three-quarters of the world’s adult population relies on vision correction — little bits of high-tech plastic equipment called lenses or contact lenses? 

When it comes to the resources utilised in production and distribution and the pollution they generate, even small pieces of plastic like eyeglasses or contact lenses greatly influence the environment.

It’s a good thing that lens producers are working hard to develop new, eco-friendly production and recycling methods.

The recent article about sustainability published in Mivision Ophthalmic journal has explained in detail how one of the leading lens manufacturers, Zeiss committed to reducing waste drastically. 

“We have reduced our monthly water consumption by 40% and the monthly amount of solid waste by nearly 80%, with a more than 60% increase in waste that is reused or recycled off-sites,” says Brenton Paris, Zeiss Vision Care’s operations manager in Australia and New Zealand 

But not only do international giants follow the sustainability agenda. Honour Optometry’s lens manufacturer CR Surfacing has also been doing that. CR Surfacing is Australia’s market-leading independent optical lens manufacturer, located in Melbourne, Victoria.

In 2018 CR Surfacing decided to go green. Changing to biodegradable packaging materials and digital invoicing, CR Surfacing took the first steps to minimise environmental impact on the planet. Shortly after, they implemented an award-winning General Waste Management System, saving over 500,000 litres of water per year. 

When we talk about sustainability at Honour Optometry, we consider all aspects. Starting from lenses, moving to eyewear and then providing a drop box for your old and unwanted glasses. In the next blog update, we will discover the sustainable frame options and how manufacturers worldwide find ways to go green.