No shady business here! Just ethically made, eco-friendly sunglasses, for a timelessly stylish and effortlessly cool accessory to complete any summer look! Protect your eyes and the planet, and look good doing so. After all, sunglasses are to summer, what avocados are to toast. A perfect match.
In 2020, 1.42 million people in the UK bought sunglasses that cost less than £25 and according to previous eyewear industry sales data, the cheapest sunglasses have typically been the ones to sell the most units. Unfortunately, with the rise of fast fashion, sunglasses arguably went from an investment staple accessory that we’d cherish for years and wear in accordance with our style, to becoming a readily available disposable item that all to often serves the mere purpose of being a micro-trend piece that either breaks after a few wears, or is swiftly no longer ‘on trend’.
Although generally the majority of glasses and sunglasses use petroleum-based virgin plastic, eyewear is not something that is always immediately associated with sustainability, despite the UK sunglasses market being projected to generate £420 million in 2022 (Statista). But in recent years, the eyewear industry does seem to have broken away from the monopoly of plastic, to create and scale-up new innovative materials.
There are many independent brands championing such sustainable materials, durability and lasting style, for sunglasses that really do as good as they feel to wear. With that, we invite you to explore the incredible brands at Veo offering a range of colours, styles and frames made from innovative materials like recycled plastic, sustainably-sourced wood, and lightweight recycled aluminium.
Colourful Recycled Plastic Sunglasses Frames
Discover stylish and vibrant sunglasses made from recycled PET, plastic waste and innovative materials like bio-acetate. The above featured Malaika Sunglasses are a perfect example of this.
Malaika’s square shape and clean silhouette is beautifully balanced, providing a modern take on a design that draws inspiration from the spirit of the Sixties, with a slightly thicker sunglasses frame that works for any occasion. They’re made with bio-acetate which provides an eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based plastics, which also helps ensure that your sunglasses will biodegrade more quickly at the end of their economic life, which is better for our planet. Their microfibre bag is made from 70% recycled PET bottles too.
Tap to shop recycled plastic and bio-acetate frames from Bird Sunglasses and Komodo.
Earthy Sustainable Wooden Sunglasses Frames
Recycled oak wine and whisky barrels, sustainable bamboo and sandalwood are just some of the innovative, ethical materials used to create our range of stylish wooden frame sunglasses.
Heralded as one of Bird’s most iconic designs, the above Wren wooden sunglasses are a fusion of twelve different layers of bamboo, beech, sandalwood with two recycled aluminium layers, creating a unique pair of sustainable sunglasses. The Wren comes fitted with amber polarised lenses as standard and each pair is carefully finished with adjustable bio-acetate temple ends to make the fitting more comfortable. Precision German OBE sprung hinges give the arms flexibility to ensure the perfect fit.
Wooden frames are a great option for anyone who prefers an earthy, grounded and more natural feel to their style.
Tap to shop sustainable wooden frames from Bear Essentials, Bird Sunglasses and Waidzeit.
Sleek Recycled Aluminium Sunglasses Frames
Tap to Shop the Apollo Aviators
Discover recycled aluminium sunglasses, for a lightweight frame that offers maximum comfort with space-grade materials. That’s right, some our recycled aluminium sunglasses are out of this world! Fancy something more grounded? Bear Essentials also offer aluminium and wood frames and plant a tree for every pair sold.
Pictured above, the Apollo Recycled Aluminium Aviator Sunglasses (available in silver and gold), are made with a recycled aerospace aluminium frame, the same material used to make CubeSat satellites, specially engineered to take the punishment that aircraft and space vehicles endure and re-shaped by Bird Sunglasses. But weighing less than 20 grams, you won’t even notice you are wearing them.
The classic Top Gun Aviator shape offers a wide eye covering which will suit the majority of face shapes and sizes. These ultra-durable and corrosion-resistant stunning metal sunglasses are timeless classics and have polarised lenses with 100% UVA/UVB protection to keep your eyes safe.
Tap to shop recycled aluminium sunglasses frames from Bear Essentials and Bird Sunglasses
Find your sustainable sunglasses ready for summer
Our love affair with sunglasses is one that has stood the test of time and we can all agree that it will continue to do so. They epitomise functional and aesthetic fashion, working both to protect our eyes and make our outfits work even harder.
Sunglasses often act as a staple and desirable entry-point to the world of fashion. So if you’re going to make a fashion statement with your eyewear this summer, why not make a sustainable one?
Discover our full range of eco-friendly sunglasses at veo.world.
Header image credit: @pcayapa