7 Eco-Friendly Prescription Eyewear Brands To Look Sharp

I envision a future in which beautifully designed sustainable products are readily available and deeply intertwined with every aspect of our daily lives. A world in which we effortlessly (and stylishly) live in balance with nature.

My eyesight, alas, is poor. So I will need to view this aesthetically awesome and environmentally excellent future through a pair of prescription eco-friendly eyeglasses.

No doubt though, this future is coming. The pace of environmental entrepreneurship is accelerating. New sustainable companies. More eco-friendly brands. More attractive sustainable products for consumers. All of this is underway and the pace is quickening.

For those of us who wear prescription glasses,  eco-friendly eyewear options are increasingly available. The designs are distinctive, fresh, and visually interesting.  Many are made by standout entrepreneurs who are busy designing and thereby defining the sustainable future.

Take, for example, Genusee, a young company making eco-friendly eyewear out of post-consumer recycled plastic bottles in Flint, Michigan. Through its business model, this environmentally responsible brand is also helping to right past wrongs and forge opportunities for the city’s citizens. Check out the video:

Genusee’s eco-friendly eyeglasses – like the other brands on the list below – will complement your features and enhance your face (technical term).

For our purposes, the brands listed here are available for purchase in the U.S. There are some seriously epic sustainable eyewear brands in other parts of the world. As their products become more easily available for purchase, I’ll update this list.

Eco-Friendly Prescription  Eyewear

1 / 7

proof

Proof has many claims to fame. Turned down by the famed investors on Shark Tank, yet worn by celebrities like Macklemore, Beyonce, and Lil Wayne, Proof makes exceptional eyewear from sustainable wood, plant-based plastic (made from cotton), and recycled aluminum – my personal favorite. Proof was founded in 2010 by three brothers and is headquartered in Boise, Idaho. The company also takes giving back as seriousy as it does sustainability. See how the brand is doing good.

Note: The frame only is included in the price. Take your glasses to a local eye care professional to have your prescription filled.

PRICE: $50 – $180

EXPLORE: Proof Eyewear

2 / 7

genusee

Genusee is an exemplary example of a sustainable design brand that takes its environmental and social impact to heart. Born in Detroit with its manufacturing in Flint, Michigan, Genusee makes its fun and funky frames from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. Not only do the designs help the planet, but they also provide jobs for the citizens of Flint, a community that was neglected and impacted for years by poisoned water. Learn more about how Genusee is supporting Flint’s resurgence.

PRICE: $99 and up (Includes prescription)

EXPLORE: Genusee

3 / 7

MITa

Mita (derived from Miami – Italy) creates bold fashionable eyewear designs, many of which are made of lightweight, high-quality recycled plastic. Founded in Miami, Mita draws inspiration from the lively, energetic, and artistic energy of its home city. Mita’s sustainable eyeglass frames are made in Italy.

Note: The frame only is included in the price. Take your glasses to a local eye care professional to have your prescription filled.

PRICE: $110 – 120 

EXPLORE: Mita

4 / 7

Sea2See

Spain-based Sea2See collaborates with fishermen across 27 ports in Spain and 10 coastal communities in Ghana to collect discarded ocean plastic waste including fishing nets, ropes, lines, and bottles, which it then upcycles into its gorgeous line of eyeglasses at its production facility in Italy. To date, Sea2See has recycled 351 tons of plastic, an extraordinary achievement. Learn more about their process.

Note: The frame only is included in the price. Take your glasses to a local eye care professional to have your prescription filled.

PRICE: $140 – $170

EXPLORE: Sea2See

5 / 7

Seaclean by glassesusa

Made from recycled plastic bottles and available in tortoise or back, the SeaClean line of eyeglasses represent an important foray into sustainable eyewear from GlassesUSA.com, one of the fastest growing online eyewear retailers. For every pair sold, $5 is donated to the Ocean Cleanup Foundation in support of a plastic-free ocean. 

PRICE: $98 (Prescription included)

EXPLORE: SeaClean Eyewear

6 / 7

waterhaul

Waterhaul’s eyeglass frames are made from 100% recycled fishing nets intercepted from the oceans. The stylish, well-built frames come with a lifetime guarantee, and Waterhaul has developed a circular production loop that allows for damaged or old pairs of its eyeglasses to be recycled and remade into new ones. The frames are available in a dark gray matte, each with a unique yet subtle fleck pattern, representing the origin of its material.

PRICE: $58.50 (Waterhaul can fulfill prescriptions starting at about $60 more)

EXPLORE: Waterhaul

7 / 7

eco eyewear

Eco was launched in 2009 to introduce mainstream consumers to eyeglass frames made from sustainable materials. Since then the brand has expanded and evolved and now offers recycled and biobased frames (acetate created from castor oil) in a multitude of styles. The line is made by multinational parent company Modo, which has enabled Eco’s frames to gain access to eyeglass stores across the U.S., making them easy to find and purchase. Here’s a map to locate a store near you.

PRICE: $167 – $200 (For frames)

EXPLORE: Eco Eyewear (Available online at Eyeglasses.com)

A Heads Up: Our posts may contain affiliate links. We frequently write about products and services to help you shop more sustainably. It won’t cost you a penny, but we receive a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links. It helps keeps the LED lights on.