Vital for sunny days at the beach, or the ultimate accessory to elevate a chic summer look, the perfect pair of shades is essential as the months become warmer. For the conscious consumer there are some great options for finding eco-friendly sunglasses in the UK.
When searching for a new pair of sustainable sunglasses, in addition to checking out sustainable brands it’s important to also consider the second-hand market. Platforms like Vinted have some great shades for highly affordable prices. The preloved sector can be particularly valuable if you are a lover of vintage sunglasses.
Often conventionally made from plastic, the eyewear market hasn’t always done well on the sustainability front. However, sustainable eyewear companies are changing this narrative by creating fashionable eyewear that encourages a circular economy and moves away from virgin plastic use. The list even includes four certified B Corp brands, a highly coveted accolade that we cover in our article here.
In the process, this emerging sustainable sector is makings some seriously cool shades and many offer home or virtual try-on services too! Whether you are looking for groovy designs, earthy tones or stylish wooden sunglasses, there are brands championing sustainability and style.
So who are these brands and where can we find eco-friendly sunglasses in the UK?
Eco-Friendly Sunglasses in the UK
Made from sustainable materials, hosting worthwhile give back schemes and working to make summer afternoons stylish and sustainable, these are some of the top sustainable sunglass companies available in the UK.
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1. Coral Eyewear
Based: UK Ships to: International
Made in: Italy
Price range: £149 – £169
Sustainability creds: Use of recycled materials, carbon-neutral shipping, recycling program, eco-conscious packaging
Committed to a spirit of innovation, Coral Eyewear is reimagining the modern eyewear market and creating a sector built on sustainability. Ditching commonly used virgin plastic, this unique organisation creates chic styles out of regenerated ocean plastic and discarded fishing nets.
With a virtual try-on feature, you can be sure to get the perfect fit. Styles have even been featured in prominent publications such as GQ magazine.
2. Pala
Based: UK Ships to: International
Made in: Italy, Ghana, South Korea
Price range: £110 – £130
Sustainability creds: Certified B Corporation, sustainable materials, give back initiatives
Built on the foundation of giving back, Pala funds eyecare projects across Africa. As well as its commendable work with supporting eye health, the brand has some fantastic sunglass styles. Whether you are a lover of the oversized look or embrace more understated round sunglass styles, Pala has you covered.
Pala provides a recycling program for UK customers, recycling any old sunglass frames you may have, and makes its innovative products from sustainable and plant-based natural materials. Their plant-based frames are even biodegradable!
What’s more, Pala have kindly offered a 10% discount to Good Maker Tales readers with the code GOODMAKERTALES10
For more like this, see our article about sustainable fashion brand discounts.
3. crann
Based: Ireland Ships to: International
Price range: €69 – €79
Sustainability creds: Recycled and sustainable materials, partnered with Native Woodland Trust, Guaranteed Irish
With eyewear that effortlessly blends edginess and elegance, Crann is the master of sustainable sunglasses. The eco-friendly brand uses 100% recycled and sustainable materials and offers a virtual try-on service so you can be sure your new shades are just your style.
Working to protect the environment, Crann is partnered with the Native Woodland Trust.
Good Maker Tales readers can get 15% off their orders with code E5YKCPLIU3. For more sustainable brand discounts see our article.
4. Waterhaul
Based: UK Ships to: International – UK stockists
Made in: Italy
Price range: £60 – £90
Sustainability creds: Recycled materials, social-enterprise
With a mission to transform ocean waste into a valuable resource, Waterhaul creates sophisticated eyewear from ocean plastic.
Embracing a minimalistic vibe and technical specs that stand up to UV exposure, a pair of sunglasses from Waterhaul are perfect for every adventure. What’s more, the company believe in producer responsibility and so every pair come with a lifetime warranty. Working to create a world with cleaner oceans, these quality sunglasses will be a summer essential for years to come.
5. Peep
Based: UK Ships to: International
Price range: £66 – £176
Sustainability creds: Tree planting initiatives, eco-friendly packaging, uses renewable energy
Peep Eyewear offers vintage frames and preloved sustainable shades that embody an artistic, quirky vibe. Each pair is fitted with new lenses of optical grade and offering UV protection. The brand plants a tree for every purchase and encourages a circular system by upcycling old styles into trendy vintage-inspired shades.
Peep has a home try on service. Supporting an attitude of sustainability, even the packaging is eco-friendly.
6. bambooka
Based: UK Ships to: International
Price range: £59
Sustainability creds: Sustainable materials, not-for-profit organisation
Bambooka sunglasses are not only environmentally-friendly but are sold by the charity Vision Africa to make a difference in the lives of people around the world. With styles named after the deserts of Africa, purchases support charitable initiatives such as Vision Aid and People Empowered Preserved Earth.
Handmade from quality and sustainable bamboo, these fashionable shades are sure to become a new favourite.
7. Aarni
Based: Finland Ships to: International
Price range: £86 – £113
Sustainability creds: Use of certified wood
Offering free shipping to the UK, this Finnish eyewear brand is the ultimate place to find some new sustainable styles. Inspired by Finland’s incredible forest landscapes, Aarni sunglasses boast a natural, earthy vibe.
Aarni only uses certified wood for its trendy styles and has made commitments to never use endangered species. Aarni sunglasses are the ultimate celebration of Europe’s amazing woodlands. They also sell watches and wallets.
8. Sea2See
Based: Spain Ships to: International
Made in: Italy
Price range: €89 – €160
Sustainability creds: Certified B Corporation, use of UPSEA recycled raw material, sustainable packaging
Made from recycled marine plastic collected from the coasts of Spain, France and West Africa, Sea2See envisions a sustainable future for the eyewear industry. With chic styles that add a level of elevated sophistication to any outfit, Sea2See is not only sustainable but enviably fashionable.
Each frame purchased from Sea2See removes a kilogram of plastic from the ocean.
9. Bird
Based: UK Ships to: International
Price range: £69 – £129
Sustainability creds: Certified B Corporation, partnered with SolarAid, FSC certified wood, ISO9001 certifications, carbon neutral, vegan
Featuring trendy shades made from certified wood pulp, bio-based acetate, renewable cork and recycled aluminium, Bird is the home of sustainably stylish sunglasses. Bird’s sunglasses embody a sleek, modern vibe and the company offers a home try on service.
Bird works with Solar Aid, supporting communities in Malawi and Zambia to have access to clean light sources.
10. Labante London
Based: UK Ships to: International
Made in: China
Price range: £99 – £139
Sustainability creds: Ethically sourced materials, PeTA-Approved Vegan, SEDEX certified factories
Made from recycled reclaimed surfboards, shades from Labante London offer UV ray protection and serious style. Whether your vibe is a classic aviator look, a quirky octagonal style or a chic cat’s eye design, Labante London has the perfect look for you.
Specialising in both bags and accessories, including their gorgeous sunglasses, the brand is PeTA-Approved Vegan. It works to ensure all its products are ethically made and with minimal environmental impact. For more on the brand and their bags, see our article 20 Sustainable Bag Brands in the UK to Fall in Love With.
11. SunGod
Based: Switzerland Ships to: International
Made in: Europe and Asia
Price range: £55 – £110
Sustainability creds: Recycled materials, carbon neutral, 1% for the Planet member, sustainable packaging, works with Protect our Winters and Surfers Against Sewage
SunGod shades are made for adventure. These are sunglasses that can be worn on mountaintops, sailing the seas or on adrenaline fuelled adventures. These glasses are unrivalled in their durability and trusted by kitesurfing champions and Olympic skiers. They even come with a lifetime warranty.
SunGod has an impressive commitment to sustainability. It works with a whole host of sustainable initiatives, uses sustainable materials and is always striving to make a positive impact.
12. Trendsplant
Based: Spain Ships to: International
Made in: Portugal
Price range: €130
Sustainability creds: Certified B Corporation, member of 1% for the Planet
With stylish shades hand-crafted in Portugal, Trendsplant glasses have a relaxed vibe with an undertone of modern edginess. These eco-friendly sunglasses are crafted from vegetable plastic made from renewable materials.
Highly durable and highly fashionable, Trendsplant shades are sure to be a favourite for years to come.
13. Nomad Eyewear
Based: UK Ships to: International
Made in: Switzerland
Price range: £43.95 – £84.95
Sustainability creds: Recycled materials, supports tree planting programs
Inspired by seeing the shocking levels of waste washing up on the world’s beaches, the founders of Nomad Eyewear set out to make a difference.
With lively colours, these are some seriously cool styles. These funky shades are made from recycled ocean plastic, helping to protect our marine life. Making this fantastic home-grown company even better, every purchase plants five mangroves in Madagascar.
Not only does buying from Nomad give you the perfect summer look, but it also helps to protect the world’s delicate ecosystems.
14. Mosevic
Based: UK Ships to: International
Made in: UK
Price range: £180
Sustainability creds: Small batch manufacturing, re-uses waste denim
Mosevic crafts eco-friendly sunglasses in the UK that are truly unique. Styles are made by infusing waste denim with a bio-based resin to create a sustainable material that resembles carbon fibre without losing its distinct denim properties.
The website has a virtual try on feature and you can even order frames for prescription glasses from this innovative organisation.
15. Vinylize
Based: Hungary Ships to: International
Made in: Europe
Price range: $495 – $695
Sustainability creds: Reuses vinyl records
The most expensive in our roundup of sustainable sunglasses in the UK, Vinylize is well worth the price. Each pair of high quality glasses are exquisitely hand made by expert craftspeople. Made from vinyl records that otherwise would have found their way to landfill, these glasses offer a piece of music history as well as a fashion statement.
Shades with serious attitude, these incredible glasses come approved and sanctioned by legends such as AC/DC and Miles Davis.
16. ECOER
Based: USA Ships to: Worldwide
Made in: China
Price range: £48 – £56
Sustainability creds: Use of recycled materials, 1% for the Planet, GRS
Made from recycled fishing nets, sunglasses from Ecoer are not only sleek but sustainable too. The brand’s eyewear range is designed for enjoying the sunshine and looking good while doing it. Shades from Ecoer are classic in their designs while still having a certain sophisticated charm that makes them perfect for the modern fashion scene.
Ecoer uses recycled materials to create its eyewear ranges, helping to reduce ocean plastic levels. The brand also offers a lifetime warranty, meaning consumers won’t have to contribute to a system of overconsumption when purchasing shades from Ecoer.
17. Wires Glasses
Based: UK Ships to: Worldwide
Made in: Italy
Price range: £150 – £165
Sustainability creds: Zero waste philosophy, use of sustainable materials
Shades from Wires are funky in their designs, creating glasses that are cool without being over the top. Inspired by everything from bee hives to Amelia Earhart, these glasses are made to turn heads and be the finishing touch to any contemporary outfit ensemble.
Wires crafts its glasses from bioplastics and offers a virtual try on feature to ensure you will love the style you order. The brand operates with a zero waste philosophy, implementing 3D printing technology to support this ideology.
Seeing a Sustainable Future
Sustainable eyewear brands not only create groovy styles but represent a shift in the industry. The accessory market doesn’t always have the same coverage as the sustainable clothing sector, but it is a vital piece of the jigsaw in creating positive change.
From using sustainable materials to supporting worthwhile causes, eco-friendly sunglass companies are letting us all see a sustainable tomorrow more clearly.
To get you further into the summer mood, see our round-up of affordable sustainable swimwear!
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