In this article we’ll take a close look at some of the best eco-friendly sunglasses provided by sustainable brands around the world. We’ll talk about the sustainable materials they use, the social impact and environmental impact they have, and show-case some of our favorite pairs.
Who doesn’t love a sexy pair of sunglasses? Not only do they make you look good, but they help shield your peepers from harmful UV rays that can damage them. As an added bonus, they can even help in preventing wrinkles because they reduce the need to squint on bright, sunshiny days.
Unfortunately, most sunglasses are difficult to recycle and are made from wasteful materials like plastic. According to Statista, the United States is home to the largest sunglasses market in the world, accounting for 4.7 billion dollars in sales. To make matters worse, it’s reported that 55 percent of adults in the United States lose or break their sunglasses every year. Broken sunglasses typically end up in landfills. Plastic frames can take anywhere from 10-1000 years to decompose and glass in landfills can take up to a million years to decompose. Yes, you read that right. One million…
Fortunately, there are many emerging makers of sunglasses that are aware of the negative impact traditional specs have on the environment. They’ve made it their mission to help protect the environment by producing environmentally friendly sunglasses made using sustainable practices and materials. Below, we’ll cover 50 different sustainable sunglass brands and some of our favorite eco-friendly sunglasses.
The Best Brand for Eco-Friendly Sunglasses
Sunski Sunglasses
Sustainable Materials: Frames are made from 100% recycled plastic | No plastic or glue used in packaging
Headquarters: San Francisco, California
Products: Women’s Sunglasses | Men’s Sunglasses | Kid’s Sunglasses
Impact: 1% of all profits donated to environmental non-profits| Lifetime warranty to reduce waste | Certified Carbon Neutral
Price: $58 – $89
Sunski has done it. They’ve created the perfect eco-friendly sunglasses for environmentally-conscious people who want to look good, protect their eyes, and help save our planet. Not only are they ridiculously affordable, but they come with a lifetime warranty. As part of their commitment to reducing waste, Sunski offers to repair your glasses if they ever break.
Sunski’s stylish sunnies stack up aesthetically against designer frames from brands like Ray Ban and Gucci and each of their 20+ styles offer a variety of color options. Every pair comes equipped with polarized lenses, an eco-friendly protective hard-case, and a micro-fiber cloth.
Sunski also helps reduce unnecessary carbon pollution from shipping and returns by allowing you to virtually try before you by. Through the magic of the internet, they are able to scan your face and simulate what the glasses will look like on you from various angles. After you’ve uploaded your scan, every pair of glasses you browse will automatically appear on your face. Witchcraft at its finest.
Go on… buy a pair. No, buy three… and tell everyone you know!
Browse Eco-Friendly Sunglasses by Material Type
Sustainably-made sunglasses come in all different shapes, sizes, and materials. Some of the most common materials used to make eco-friendly sunglasses include:
- Recycled materials, such as ocean plastics, skateboards, and vinyl records
- Cork
- Wood
- Bamboo
- Acetate (bio-degradable plastic)
- Various recycled & eco-friendly materials
You can keep reading to view eco-friendly sunglasses made from all of the different sustainable materials we listed or click on the links above to skip to the section of your choice.
Sustainable Sunglasses Made from Recycled Materials
With so much waste floating around our oceans and filling our landfills, it’s refreshing to see that many companies are recycling materials to create eco-friendly sunglasses. Many of the brands featured below use recycled ocean plastic and some get creative by recycling materials from skateboards, fabric, and vinyl records!
Check them out:
Sunglasses Made from Recycled Plastic
Waterhaul’
Waterhaul – Recycled Ocean Plastic Sunglasses
Sustainable Materials: Recycled ocean plastic from discarded fishing gear
Headquarters: Cornwall, England
Products: Sunglasses | Reading Glasses | Litter Picker
Price: $150 – $160
46% of the plastic waste that floats around our oceans comes from fishing gear that is harmful to marine life and will not degrade. Waterhaul has made it its mission to tackle this problem by producing stylish, eco-friendly sunglasses made from 100% recycled ocean waste.
Their sunglasses boast polarized lenses made from mineral glass with the highest clarity of any glass on the market and high-scratch resistance. Each pair also comes with a free hard-case made of sustainable cork. Best of all, their sunglasses come with a lifetime warranty. They will replace unwanted glasses and repair broken ones for free – recycling all sunglasses and parts that are sent to them as part of their mission to help protect our planet.
Norton Point Sunglasses
Sustainable Materials: Recycled ocean plastic from discarded fishing gear
Headquarters: Los Angeles, California
Products: Sunglasses | T-shirts
Impact: Pledge to remove one pound of ocean plastic for every pair of sunglasses sold | 5% of profits donated to stemming impact of ocean plastic
Price: $89 – $129
Not only are these folks dedicated to turning ocean plastic into stylish sunglasses, but they are also actively working to remove waste from the oceans and funding initiatives to reduce it with every pair of sunglasses sold. These stunning specs are a fan favorite with socially-conscious surfers and come equipped with polarized lenses and an eco-friendly soft-pouch to protect them from the elements while you catch some waves.
Bureo https://bureo.co/collections/sunglasses-1/products/costa-x-bureo-pescador (deprioritize)
Vinylize Sunglasses
Sustainable Materials: Upcycled vinyl records
Headquarters: Budapest, Hungary
Products: Women’s Sunglasses | Men’s Sunglasses | Reading Glasses
Price: $495 – $525
While Vynilize might be quiet about their sustainability, their stunning eco-friendly shades are hand-made in Budapest from a unique material: recycled vinyl records. Their sunglasses are bold and futuristic in design and feature “bullet-proof” polarized lenses that are made to last. They’re a fan favorite with celebrities like Fred Durst, Robbie Williams, and Sir Richard Branson. Best of all, for a hefty fee ($1620+), they’ll take your favorite record and transform it into a pair of custom sunglasses for you.
Ozeano Sunglasses
Sustainable Materials: Recycled Plastic | Recycled Skateboard Wood | Bamboo Protective Case | Organic Cotton Pouch
Headquarters: Sydney, Australia
Products: Unisex Sunglasses for Women & Men
Impact: For every pair sold they remove 12kg of plastic from the ocean | Donate 10% of sales to Fred Hollows Foundation for curing vision impairment
Price: $120
Ozeano is 100% committed to sustainable manufacturing practices. Literally, every single material used to produce their sunglasses is sustainable right down to the lenses and packaging. These eco-friendly sunnies are packaged and shipped in compostable bags with biodegradable tape using carbon-neutral shipping methods. Every pair of sunglasses comes with a free, recycled bamboo protective case and an organic cotton pouch.
Ozeano sunglasses come in five different styles, each named after Australian beaches, and come in a variety of colorways.
While they are based in Australia, fret not about added shipping costs. Ozeano offers free international shipping on all their stylish shades.
Pala
Pala Eyewear
Sustainable Materials: Plant-based acetate (plastic) | Eco-friendly recyclable packing | Carbon offset shipping
Headquarters: Brighton, UK
Products: Women’s Sunglasses | Men’s Sunglasses
Impact: Proceeds from every pair go to eye-care programs in Africa | Employ Ghanaian-based weaving communities
Price: $137 – $188
Pala provides sexy, stylish, and eco-friendly sunglasses made from plant-based acetate. These sustainable sunnies come in a variety of designer-styles for women and men, are built to last, and ship for free around the globe.
Giving back is at the heart of Pala’s mission. With every pair of sunglasses purchased, they donate to eye-care programs in Africa that provide grants to vision centers and dispensaries. Through their give-back initiatives, they’ve been able to provide over 8000 pairs of prescription glasses to sight-impaired folks in Africa. They also work with Ghanaian-based NGOs to make their upcycled sunglasses cases – providing them with trade and income while reinforcing their sustainability.
Every pair of Pela Sunglasses comes with polarised, anti-scratch lenses, a hand-made woven case, and a one year warranty.
ECO by MODO
ECO by MODO Sunglasses
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Blue Planet Eyewear
Blue Planet Eyewear
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Karun
Karün Sunglasses
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United By Blue
Sea 2 see
Good Citizens
Sunglasses Made From Recycled Metals
Sunglasses Made from Recycled Fabrics
Mosevic Sunglasses
Sustainable Materials: Recycled denim
Headquarters: Cornwall, UK
Products: Unisex Denim Sunglasses
Price: $248
Handcrafted in Cornwall, Mosevic sunglasses are made in small batches recycled denim.
Currently, Mosevic offers five styles of their show-stopping denim sunglasses – each of which comes with polarized lenses by Zeiss and a two-year warranty. They offer free shipping worldwide. They are lightweight, comfortable, and, don’t worry, they’re waterproof too. If they get wet they’ll darken in color (just like your jeans would), but they’ll dry up and return to normal shortly after.
It is worth noting they do currently use resin to make their sunglasses, so they aren’t 100% made sustainably-made. However, they are working towards sourcing and using plant-based resin in the future.
Sunglasses Made from Recycled Skateboards
7plis Sunglasses
Sustainable Materials: Upcycled Skateboards
Headquarters: Nancy, France
Products: Unisex Sunglasses | Watches | Many other things
Price: $560
Looking for an eco-friendly pair of sunglasses that are as unique as they are sustainable? 7plis’ got you covered. Every pair of 7plis sunglasses are hand-made from recycled skateboards and no two pairs are alike. These stunning, sustainable sunnies come with polarized lenses, an eco-friendly hard-case that incorporates a skateboard bearing, an organic cotton soft-pouch, protective oil, and a mini keychain replica of your sunglasses. Each pair comes with a unique serial number and a history of the skateboard used to make your shades.
We think it’s really rad that the sunglasses come with a story – you’ll learn about the skater, their favorite trick, and the board they used that you will be wearing on your face. So cool.
While 7plis may cost a pretty penny, it’s a small price to pay for one-of-a-kind, sustainable sunglasses with a history. And if you can’t justify spending $500+ on their sunnies, you can always explore their shop for other accessories made from recycled skateboards like earrings, rings, and keychains.
Dex Shades
Sustainable Materials: Recycled skateboards
Products: Unisex Sunglasses
Impact: Plant 2 trees for every pair
Price: $78 – $109
Wanting a pair of eco-friendly sunglasses made from recycled skateboards, but not looking to break the bank? Dex Shades offers affordable wayfarer-style sunglasses that are made from 100% recycled skateboard wood and come in a variety of colors. Best of all, they’ll plant 2 trees for every pair sold. Each pair comes with polarized lenses, an eco-friendly bamboo hard-case, and a 90-day 100% money-back guarantee.
These unique shades used to be used for kickflips and ollies, but now they can be used for swimming, surfing, paddleboarding, boating, and other water-related activities. Dex Shades and their bamboo cases can float so you don’t have to worry about them sinking to the bottom of the ocean and creating more pollution.
Eco-Friendly Cork, Wood, and Bamboo Sunglasses
Sunglasses Made from Wood
Shadetree
ShadeTree Sunglasses
Sustainable Materials: Responsibly sourced wood
Headquarters: Perrineville, New Jersey
Products: Women’s Sunglasses | Men’s Sunglasses | Clothing
Price: $55 – $129
Made from sustainably-sourced wood, ShadeTree provides a variety of eco-friendly sunglasses for women and men. These sporty shades are perfect for the “outdoorsy-type” and will help you keep your eyes protected while you set off on your favorite outdoor activity.
Each pair of ShadeTree sunglasses comes with UV blocking polarized lenses, a microfiber soft bag, and an eco-friendly bamboo hard case. Unlike many sunglasses providers, ShadeTree also offers a variety of sizes on some of their sunnies. They also offer prescription lenses on their Yosemite line of sunglasses. Unfortunately, they appear to be sold out at the time of writing this post.
ShadeTree even has its own mascot – the Shade-Manatee. While this will likely have no impact on your purchasing decision, we thought it was cool and decided to showcase this funky lil’ guy.
Woodzee
Woodzee Sunglasses
Sustainable Materials: Various types of wood | Recycled skateboards | Plant-based acetate
Headquarters: California
Products: Women’s Sunglasses | Men’s Sunglasses | Accessories
Impact: Recycle an old pair of Woodzee glasses and get 50% off next purchase
Price: $35 – $100
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Tree Tribe Sunglasses
Sustainable Materials: Eco-friendly Bamboo and Wood
Headquarters: US-based
Products: Wooden Sunglasses | Clothing & Accessories | Eco-friendly bottles
Impact: Made from sustainable and biodegradable wood | Plant 1 tree for every sale
Price: $56 – $80
You obviously care about the environment; otherwise, you wouldn’t be here, and so does Tree Tribe. They are outdoor lifestyle brand that’s committed to making the world a better place by selling sustainably made products and planting trees for every purchase made through their store. So far, they’ve planted over 400,000 trees worldwide.
You can feel good, look good, and connect with nature by wearing Tree Tribe’s sustainable bamboo sunglasses. Tree Tribe’s eco-friendly sunglasses come with UV400 polarized lenses and a hard bamboo case. Another cool feature: they can swim! Making them the perfect shades for outdoor activities and water sports like kayaking, paddleboarding, and lake-lounging.
Shop for Tree Tribe Sunglasses
TopHeads
TopHeads Sunglasses (INCOMPLETE)
Sustainable Materials: Wood, bamboo, recycled skateboard decks, and recycled plastic
Headquarters: Sydney, Australia
Products: Women’s and Men’s Sunglasses | Eye Glasses | Apparel
Price:
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Sunglasses Made from Bamboo
WearPanda (shareasale)
Panda Sunglasses
Sustainable Materials: Bamboo
Products: Unisex Bamboo Sunglasses | Watches
Impact: Proceeds from every sale go to charitable organizations around the world
Price: $120
Founded in 2012, Panda Sunglasses turned an idea into a reality through a Kickstarted campaign. In just 3 days, they were able to achieve their campaign goal and have been growing wild like bamboo ever since!
All Panda Sunglasses frames are built with eco-friendly bamboo and include polarized lenses, a microfiber pouch, and a free bamboo case. They also offer free shipping worldwide, a lifetime warranty, and a 60-day return policy. Like other bamboo sunglasses, these shades can swim – making them excellent for pool-side lounging, paddle-boarding, and other water-related activities.
Best of all, Panda will donate part of their proceeds for every pair of eco-friendly sunglasses sold. They partner with charitable organizations such as Kiva, Optometry Giving SIght, %1 for the Planet, One Tree planted, and more. Have a look through their selection of sunnies – each product will specify which charity will receive proceeds for your purchase.
Dress Positive https://www.etsy.com/shop/DressPositive?etsy.com/shop/DressPositive?search_query=bamboo
Swell
Bambu https://www.amazon.com/s?rh=n%3A7141123011%2Cp_4%3Abambu&ref=bl_sl_s_ap_web_7141123011
Wodd
Sunglasses Made from Cork
Sticks & Sparrow
Nomadic Movement
Sustainable Sunglasses Made from Acetate
Warby Parker
Sustainable Materials: Plant-based acetate
Headquarters: New York, New York
Products: Sunglasses for Women & Men | Eyeglasses for Women & Men |
Impact: Buy a pair, give a pair program for the visually impaired | Program to provide free eye exams and glasses for school children in need
Price: $95
Stylish, affordable, sustainable, and impactful – these are all fitting adjectives to describe Warby Parker. This eyewear brand is committed to making a difference in the world through sustainable manufacturing practices and social good programs. The majority of Warby Parker’s frames are made sustainably with plant-based acetate (plastic) and all of their glasses are designed to provide 100% protection from harmful UVA and UVB rays.
Warby Parker also offers prescription lenses for their stylish and eco-friendly sunglasses. All lenses are backed by a one-year scratch guarantee – they’ll replace your lenses for free, and a 30-day hassle free return or exchange policy. And if all that wasn’t good enough, Warby Parker even allows you to pay for your shades in 3 payment installments without charging interest.Shop for Warby Parker Sunglasses
Dick Moby
Paper & Paper
Warby Parker (share a sale)
Finlay and Co
Sustainable Sunglasses Made from Various Eco-Friendly Materials
Solo Eyewar
Stio
Zeal Optics
Parafina
Vira Sun
ECO by MODO
Blue Planet Eyewear
Sunski
Karun
United By Blue
Sea 2 see
Good Citizens
Goodcitizens Sunglasses
Goodcitizens Sunglasses
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Sustainable Materials: Recycled single-use plastic bottles
Headquarters: Sydney, Australia
Products: Unisex Sunglasses | Bracelets
Impact: Remove 1KG of harmful plastic waste from the ocean with every purchase
Price: $99
Goodcitizens turns 1 plastic single-use bottle into a pair of unique, stylish, and eco-friendly sunglasses. Not only are their frames sustainably-made, but so is this packaging. Every pair comes packed in a box made from recycled paper and printed with plant-based ink. Talk about commitment. Best of all, for every pair you purchase, they’ll remove 1KG of waste form our oceans. As part of their commitment to the planet, they also ensure that every part of their eco-friendly shades are fixable. Ship them the broken part, they’ll recycle it, send you a new one, and you can fix it in seconds.
They currently offer two styles of their sustainable sunnies and each of them comes in three different colorways. Buy two pairs and they’ll ship to you for free, using carbon neutral shipping services (duh!), if you live in the US, Australia, New Zealand, or Europe. They also offer a 12-month warranty against manufacturing defects.
Our Favorite Pairs
Goodcitizens Sunglasses
Sustainable Materials: Recycled single-use plastic bottles
Headquarters: Sydney, Australia
Products: Unisex Sunglasses | Bracelets
Impact: Remove 1KG of harmful plastic waste from the ocean with every purchase
Price: $99
Goodcitizens turns 1 plastic single-use bottle into a pair of unique, stylish, and eco-friendly sunglasses. Not only are their frames sustainably-made, but so is this packaging. Every pair comes packed in a box made from recycled paper and printed with plant-based ink. Talk about commitment. Best of all, for every pair you purchase, they’ll remove 1KG of waste form our oceans. As part of their commitment to the planet, they also ensure that every part of their eco-friendly shades are fixable. Ship them the broken part, they’ll recycle it, send you a new one, and you can fix it in seconds.
They currently offer two styles of their sustainable sunnies and each of them comes in three different colorways. Buy two pairs and they’ll ship to you for free, using carbon neutral shipping services (duh!), if you live in the US, Australia, New Zealand, or Europe. They also offer a 12-month warranty against manufacturing defects.
Goodcitizens Sunglasses
Our Favorite Pairs
Sustainable Materials: Recycled single-use plastic bottles
Headquarters: Sydney, Australia
Products: Unisex Sunglasses | Bracelets
Impact: Remove 1KG of harmful plastic waste from the ocean with every purchase
Price: $99
Goodcitizens turns 1 plastic single-use bottle into a pair of unique, stylish, and eco-friendly sunglasses. Not only are their frames sustainably-made, but so is this packaging. Every pair comes packed in a box made from recycled paper and printed with plant-based ink. Talk about commitment. Best of all, for every pair you purchase, they’ll remove 1KG of waste form our oceans. As part of their commitment to the planet, they also ensure that every part of their eco-friendly shades are fixable. Ship them the broken part, they’ll recycle it, send you a new one, and you can fix it in seconds.
They currently offer two styles of their sustainable sunnies and each of them comes in three different colorways. Buy two pairs and they’ll ship to you for free, using carbon neutral shipping services (duh!), if you live in the US, Australia, New Zealand, or Europe. They also offer a 12-month warranty against manufacturing defects.