Sunglasses are not just style statements; they also need to protect our eyes. But, they also need to do that without damaging the planet. While being affordable. Is all this possible? Our list covers some of the best affordable eco-friendly sunglasses available today. Let’s dive in!
TL;DR: Check out Sunski for the best value-for-money eco-friendly sunglasses!
Looking for vintage sunglasses and pre-loved frames? Try Peep Eyewear!
- What are Eco-friendly Sunglasses Made Of?
- What to Look for When Shopping for Eco-friendly Sunglasses
- Top Brands of Affordable Eco-friendly Sunglasses
- 1 // Colorful Standard
- 2 // Covry
- 3 // Good Citizens
- 4 // Sea2see
- 5 // Skrap
- 6 // Sunski
- 7 // Swell Vision
- 8 // Warby Parker
- 9 // Waterhaul
- 10 // Best Eco-friendly Sunglasses for Kids: Roshambo’s Bueller Black Junior
- 11 // Best Vegan Sunglasses: TKEES
- 12 // Arnette Agent Z | From $99
- 13 // ECO | From $75
- 14 // Genusee | From $99
- 15 // MITA | From $139
- 16 // Pala | From $100
- 17 // Paradigm | From $145
- 18 // Peep Eyewear | vintage sunglasses | From ￡86
- 18 // Pela | From $65
- 19 // Runners Sunglasses | From $55
- 20 // Sticks & Sparrow | From $99
- 21 // Szade | Sunglasses from recycled sunglasses | From $69.95
- 22 // Woodzee | From $25
- 23 // Zoni Wear | From $35
- Eco-friendly Sunglasses Brands That Are Giving Back
- Sustainable Sunglasses That Cost More
What are Eco-friendly Sunglasses Made Of?
Eco-friendly sunglasses are made with sustainable materials, mostly from recycled items (including repurposed fishing nets, skateboards and other cool stuff). Some are made from biodegradable materials, such as wood, cork, bamboo. Still others are made from materials such as plant-based acetate. The bottom line is that they’re all made with safe, non-toxic materials that have been repurposed or can be returned to the Earth.
BTW it’s a good idea to give your old eyeglasses and sunglasses for recycling or donation. If you’re a contact lens wearer, you can also recycle your old lenses!
What to Look for When Shopping for Eco-friendly Sunglasses
When shopping for a stylish pair of eco-friendly sunglasses, look for products made from sustainable materials, and manufactured sustainably in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. Bonus points for give-back programs, if the company has any. If you’re shopping online, consider the following aspects while going through the brand’s website:
1 / Accreditations
Does the brand have any accreditations or certifications as to the authenticity of their claims? This could be a B-Corp certificate, for example.
2 / Materials
Does the brand use recycled materials, or materials that are biodegradable and renewable?
Every year, an estimated 640,000 tons of discarded fishing material makes its way into our waterways. The sustainable sunglasses that are made from recycled fishing nets include Sea2sea, Waterhaul, Bureo, and Costa.
3 / Manufacturing Process
Using eco-friendly materials isn’t enough. Does the brand safeguard their employees (fair trade), local community, and the environment during the entire manufacturing process?
4 / Give Back Program
Does the company have a give-back program that you would like to support?
5 / Transparency
How transparent is the company regarding its operations? If information with proof is easily available on their website, then that’s a good sign. Also, look at their public reviews by customers.
Top Brands of Affordable Eco-friendly Sunglasses
It shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg to get a cute pair of sustainable sunglasses. Luckily, there are loads of affordable sustainable options when it comes to sunglasses. These are among the most interesting, stylish, and give you the most bang for your buck:
1 // Colorful Standard
Price: From €98
B Corp | Carbon Negative | cork & recycled FSC-certified packaging | Handcrafted in Italy
Colorful Standard’s line of biodegradable sunglasses are made from plant-based materials: the frames are cellulose acetate and are fully compostable.
2 // Covry
Price: From $95
Handcrafted frames | small batch production | low waste
Covry sunglasses are made from plant-derived acetate. The founders built Covry to embrace diversity and celebrate faces of all different shapes and sizes.
3 // Good Citizens
Price: From $100
Family business | post-consumer plastic | 100% recycled modular frames | 100% repairable
Want an amazing story of perseverance? This Aussie brand is a family business, and it took them 2,500 failed attempts before they hit on the final result. How is that for motivation?!
Good Citizens’ sunglasses are made from post-consumer plastic bottles, and turned into three styles that you can choose from. Their packaging is made from recycled materials.
4 // Sea2see
Price: From €89
B-Corp | carbon negative | cradle-to-cradle gold certification | vegan | sustainable packaging
Sea2sea’s sunglasses are made from 100% recycled ocean plastic, including fishing nets. The company has been actively taking part in reducing ocean plastic. Their packaging is made of cork, and comes with recycled PET cleaning cloths.
Sea2see is the first eyewear brand manufactured with UPSEA recycled plastic Cradle to Cradle certified. The products are 100% made in Italy.
5 // Skrap
Price: $100-125 CAD
100% recycled skateboards | reclaimed materials packaging | small business
Canadian company Skrap uses old skateboards and handcrafts them into gorgeous, eco-friendly sunglasses. The maple wood veneer living a second life after being part of a skateboard deck is pretty darn cool. They make 6 or 7 pairs of sunglasses from each skateboard.
6 // Sunski
Price: From $58
Lifetime warranty | recycled plastic | fair trade | plastic-free packaging | climate neutral
Sunski’s sunglasses frames are made of SuperLight recycled plastic, which is locally sourced from landfills. The carry cases are made from durable solution-dyed recycled polyester (RPET). The sunglasses are shipped in folded paperboard origami boxes.
Sunski is a member of 1% for the Planet, and donated $5 per pair sold to Earth Guardians in support of COP27, apart from many other programs.
7 // Swell Vision
Price: From $58
Sustainably Harvested Bamboo | eco-friendly product line | floatable sunglasses
Swell Vision makes eco-friendly bamboo sunglasses, using 100% sustainably-sourced bamboo. The lenses are made of triacetate cellulose (TAC) with a CR39 polarized resin finish.
Swell’s charity partner, Green School, helps underprivileged Balinese children attend school tuition-free. Every pair of glasses sold by Swell funds two weeks of schooling.
8 // Warby Parker
Price: From $95
carbon offsets | ethical supply chain | B Corp
Everyone knows about Warby Parker’s business nous, but did you know their frames are made using plant cellulose acetate, and ultralight easily recyclable titanium, stainless steel, or bronze. The lenses are polycarbonate impact-resistant ones.
Their charitable program, “Buy a Pair, Give a Pair”, donates a pair of glasses for every pair purchased. Ten million pairs of glasses have been distributed in over 50 countries so far, through non-profits like VisionSpring.
9 // Waterhaul
Price: $58.50
Sustainability: circular model | recycled materials | sustainable Barberini glass lenses
UK-based Waterhaul’s spectacle frames are made from 100% recycled fishing nets retrieved from the oceans, and come with a lifetime guarantee. What’s more, Waterhaul’s old or damaged glasses can be sent back to them for recycling into new pairs.
The marine plastic that Waterfall uses is from the lost and discarded fishing gear known as ‘ghost gear.’ It is the most abundant form of macro-plastic in the ocean, and 640,000 tons of it gets dumped into the ocean every year. They recover this plastic, recycle it, and redesign it into their products.
10 // Best Eco-friendly Sunglasses for Kids: Roshambo’s Bueller Black Junior
Price: $25
Non-toxic | baby-safe | unbreakable | flexible | ultra light
Roshambo’s Junior Shades are non-toxic: free of BPA, phthalate, lead and latex. Small parts tested as safe for babies. These shades are virtually unbreakable! And if your kids break them, you get a a full damage replacement guarantee.
Roshambo has many styles of sustainable kids’ sunglasses, all colorful and indestructible.
11 // Best Vegan Sunglasses: TKEES
Price: $95
Biodegradable frames | plant-derived lenses | recycled hinges
TKEES’ sunglasses are made from sustainable plant-based materials, and are packed in a foldable vegan leather case with a recycled PET microfiber lens cloth.
12 // Arnette Agent Z | From $99
13 // ECO | From $75
14 // Genusee | From $99
15 // MITA | From $139
16 // Pala | From $100
17 // Paradigm | From $145
18 // Peep Eyewear | vintage sunglasses | From ￡86
18 // Pela | From $65
19 // Runners Sunglasses | From $55
20 // Sticks & Sparrow | From $99
21 // Szade | Sunglasses from recycled sunglasses | From $69.95
22 // Woodzee | From $25
23 // Zoni Wear | From $35
Eco-friendly Sunglasses Brands That Are Giving Back
1 // Ballo
Price: $108 – $168
recyclable sustainable packaging | ethical & fair trade | give back
Ballo is a South African company making handmade sunglasses. The products are made from upcycled and recycled, sustainably sourced materials.
Ballo is a member of 1% for the Planet, and also donate another 1% towards Gender Equality. They heavily invest in supporting their local communities and educating individuals. They also plant trees via Greenpop.
2 // Bird
Price: From $100
B Corp | vegan | carbon negative | circular economy | give back
Bird is a B Corp certified company, making sunglasses out of certified woods, bio-based acetate, renewable cork and recycled aluminum. You can also send your frames back to them for recycling and receive a discount on your next pair of Birds.
Every pair of Birds eyewear gives back through their Share Your Sun partnership with SolarAid, through which they help distribute solar light to families in Zambia and Malawi, replacing the use of fossil fuel burning lamps.
3 // Proof Eyewear
Price: From $65
FSC-certified wood | recycled skateboards | give back
Proof makes their sunglasses out of recycled materials, specifically old skateboards. They also use sustainable FSC-certified wood in their products.
Proof follows a socially conscious business model, and has been partnering with local and global communities through their Do Good initiatives. They donate a portion of every purchase towards different causes. They also donate to vision clinics around the world.
4 // SOLO Eyewear
Price: From $59
Ethical sourcing | repurpose & recycle | Give back
SOLO Eyewear creates eco-friendly sunglasses using wood, bamboo, and plant based plastic materials.
SOLO Eyewear donates 10% of profits to various charities, and have restored vision for more than 13,000 people in 32 countries through funding eye exams, eyeglasses and cataract surgeries.
5 // Panda
Price: From $189
Sustainable carbon offset | FSC-certified bamboo | 1% for the planet | give back
Panda says they’re the first sustainable bamboo sunglass company, and needless to say, their sunglasses are made of sustainably sourced bamboo.
Panda uses part of its revenue to help those with vision problems around the world. They helped Optometry Giving Sight screen nearly 4 million people, deliver more than 27,000 pairs of glasses, and support 16 optical labs and 116 optometry students in 39 countries. They’ve supported microloans, funded national parks, and more.
Panda offsets shipping carbon in collaboration with One Tree Planted.
Note: Bamboo is a grass & continues to grow after harvesting, making it the true sustainable choice. Many wooden glasses are made from endangered trees such as Walnut, Maple, & Zebrawood. Harvesting these woods means completely destroying the tree.
Sustainable Sunglasses That Cost More
1 // Coral Eyewear
Price: From $200
Circular model | handcrafted | plastic-free packaging | carbon-neutral shipping
UK company Coral Eyewear’s sunglasses are made from fishing nets and recycled plastic. They also take back their sunglasses for recycling.
2 // Costa
Price: From $229
Free green shipping | made from recycled fishing nets
Costa, in partnership with Bureo, created the Untangled collection of sustainable frames, all made of 97% to 100% recycled fishing nets. In recognition of its contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Untangled Collection was given the RELX Sustainable Development Goals Customer Award.
3 // Just Human
Price: From $360
zero waste manufacturing | 100% BPA free and recyclable lenses | vegan leather case
Just Human’s sustainable sunglasses are unisex, made to fit “faces not gender.” The 100% plastic free sunglasses are made from FSC-certified reforested softwood trees.
4 // Ozeano
Price: From $249
Recyclable | biodegradable | handmade | certified sustainable | B Corp | Carbon neutral
Australian brand Ozeano’s sustainable sunglasses are made by hand from plant-based acetate, which is derived from cotton fibers and wood pulp. They use organic dyes for the color. They have polarized sunglasses, prescription sunglasses, and more.
The sunglasses come packaged in a cork case and an organic cotton pouch. Every purchase pays to clean up more than 25 pounds of ocean plastic.
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