Together with an eyeware company, we set out to see if we could recycle something that hadn’t been recycled before - acetate eyewear frames. Even though it's the industry's most used material, there’s currently no recycling option for frames at the end of their life. But that’s not the worst of it - around 80% of the acetate material is going to waste in the initial production process. A lot of waste for one pair of glasses. Still, what many see as waste, we see as a resource.
We developed a process to turn recycled acetate into sheet materials, indicating a new opportunity to change the industry and capture a valuable waste stream.
Which begs the question - what other products can we make with it? With a bit more research, we will determine the possible product lifecycles while keeping the final goal in focus: creating new frames from old frames. You got it - 100% circular glasses.
This problem and solution is bigger than any one firm. We are happy to facilitate industry alliances to find a better future together!
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