Investing in a high-quality pair of sunglasses is essential for both outgoers and not. But what’s more special and efficient are eco-friendly biodegradable sunglasses. This eyewear is our future. It protects from the sun’s UV rays while saving mother earth.
Eco-friendly biodegradable sunglasses make you feel and look good about style and ethics. There are a lot of questions about the reliability of these pieces of spectacles. So this complete guide provides answers about eco-friendly biodegradable sunglasses.
What Are Biodegradable Sunglasses?
Biodegradable sunglasses are made from type of compostable materials, which is named natural straw plastic. The natural straw plastic is composited from wheat straw, wood, bamboo fiber, tea, etc. These things take a short time to decompose. For example, bamboo fiber takes only a year to biodegrade. Thus, these items can ease the world’s natural problems.
Most regular pairs of eyewear are from metal or plastics. Metal comes from mining deep down in the earth. Plastics find their way into the oceans most of the time.
Sometimes, we throw our broken sunglasses only to end up in landfills and the ocean. Not to mention, some people may lose their metal or plastic sunglasses while on the beach.
When these scenarios happen, the environment suffers. The landfill’s space fills up. Worst, plastics and metals take a long time to decompose.
Eyewear companies have been innovating to provide substantial products. It aims to ease the natural problems of our planet.
Each pair of these sunglasses uses renewable materials that do not harm the planet. It includes wheat straw, bamboo fiber, tea, and even coffee instead of plastic and metals.
So imagine how we can save our air, water, and land if we start using degradable products?
Using sustainable materials in producing sunglasses provides durable and safe output. Plus, it can create various designs for all ages and genders.
Why need to use biodegradable material to produce sunglasses?
One of the challenges for mankind in the 21st century is complying with sustainable development for the environment. The use of biodegradable material to produce sunglasses is one way to avoid environmental pollution problems.
Biodegradable sunglasses offer the same attributes as with regular shades, even better. It offers good heat and impact resistance. You can also get transparency, rigidity, and good tensile strength.
Most of all, biodegradable materials will decompose into carbon dioxide, water and other organic matter by microorganisms under composting conditions.
Can Biodegradable Sunglasses Be Completely Degraded?
Since biodegradable sunglasses are from raw materials, they can degrade over time. But the time it would achieve complete degradation differs.
The degradation process of biodegradable sunglasses varies. Some can last from 36 to 60 months. It depends on the method and materials used.
Most producers use mainstream plastic degradation technologies that come into two categories. The first one is fully bio-based degradable plastics. It uses PBAT or PLA materials to replace traditional polyethylene plastics through special equipment.
Polyethylene plastics are the traditional materials used in regular eyepieces. The problem with this material is it takes hundreds of years to degrade.
Another method is the technology that adds degradable masterbatch. So, biodegradable sunglasses may only take 2 to 3 years to degrade oxygen, carbon, and soil fertility.
Fully biobased materials are reliable because of the PBAT and PLA materials. Some raw materials used are straw, wood fiber, and tea bags, all common in our daily lives.
Polylactic Acid (PLA) comes from renewable resources. It includes materials like wood fiber, bamboo fiber, corn starch, or sugar cane. When used to sunglasses, it offers similar attributes to regular plastics.
Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate (PBAT) is another biodegradable plastic. It features flexible material and high elongation at break. So, sunglasses using bioplastic may have high durable properties.
Suppose these materials turn into sunglasses or other eyewear products. In that case, it can achieve complete degradation through light or thermal oxidation and environmental microbial action.
What Are The Common Materials For Biodegradable Sunglasses?
The eyewear industry has been resourceful in providing quality biodegradable sunglasses. The materials used for eco-friendly sunglasses vary from wheat straw, wood fiber, bamboo fiber, and tea. It could also be other biodegradable materials other than plastics and metals.
The best thing about these sunglasses is that they will decompose. It can serve as a fertilizer, both in soil and water, after years of use. It helps the environment slowly recover while offering you a unique style.
Biodegradable sunglasses have no different from regular sunglasses. It looks the same, but the materials used set them apart. Let us look at some common materials of biodegradable sunglasses.
Wheat Straw
Who would have thought wheat straws are workable for making sunglasses? Yes, we are referring to the stalk left over after harvesting the wheat grains.
In some countries, farmers burn it. Thus, it contributes to air pollution and creating a public health hazard.
But eyewear manufacturers are now transforming this ‘waste’ into something more useful. Wheat straw sunglasses are lightweight, flexible, and comfortable to wear.
Wheat straw sunglasses are reusable. At the end of their expected usage, you can take these sunglasses to a local composting facility. Or use its frame as a fertilizer to your garden. How cool is that?
Wood and Bamboo Fiber
Wood fibers are cellulosic elements extracted from trees to form other materials. Meanwhile, bamboo fibers are hair pulps pull out from bamboos.
It means there’s no need to cut down trees and bamboos to make wooden sunglasses. Both these fibers are good mechanical strength properties, which are essential in producing quality biodegradable sunglasses.
Wood and bamboo fibers are sustainable materials because they proliferate fast. So, you can wear unique wooden sunglasses that are good for the environment.
Tea and Coffee
Tea and coffee-based sunglasses are other innovative creations for fashion without causing harm to the earth. Cafes are everywhere, so imagine how much coffee and tea waste do they contribute to society?
These biodegradable sunglasses are from coffee and tea wastes mixed with natural oils. It uses unique production technology to build the frames.
As a result, people can wear a fashionable and 100% eco-friendly made from composite materials. If you are a coffee lover or tea addict, extend your love with this style.
What Makes Biodegradable Sunglasses Good For The Environment?
Biodegradable sunglasses are good for the environment because it uses renewable materials. Instead of cutting trees for wooden sunglasses, it uses wood and tree fibers.
Some eyewear producers use end products that already waste for us, like wheat straws. Coffee and tea wastes are other attainable resources.
Biodegradable sunglasses decompose after years of use. Instead of polluting the planet, it can become fertilizers in both water and plants.
If not, it will degrade faster so that the planet can transform it to oxygen, carbon, and other elements needed to balance our ecosystem.
Eyewear producers create more valuable products that can benefit people. It helps the planet remove wastes from the ocean and land. Plus, they provide long-term solutions for our natural problems.
Is Biodegradable Sunglasses Safe To Use?
Even biodegradable sunglasses are from sustainable materials; they are 100% safe to use. Producers also use high-end technologies to guarantee the safety of biodegradable sunglasses.
This kind of eyewear is sustainable and ethical, even if it comes from a vetted source. But you still have to choose a reputable brand for your wheat straw sunglasses.
Imagine living in a world free from plastics and the use of degradable materials instead. How humans and our planet would benefit?
We would have access to fresh air. There would be fewer wastes in landfills and a cleaner ocean.
These biodegradable items will eventually degrade. So the planet can naturally recycle them into valuable elements to sustain all living organisms.
What the test that biodegradable can pass?
-Bisphenol-A
-FDA 21 CFR 176.170-Chloroform-soluble extractive residues
-RoHS Directive(EU) 2015/863 amending Annex ll to Directive 2011/65/EU
-Heavy metal:Aluminum(Al), Antimony(Sb),Arsenic(As), Barium(Ba), Boron(B), Cadmium(Cd), Chromium lll(Cr lll), Chromium(Vl)(Cr(Vl)), Cobalt(Co), Copper(Cu), Lead(Pb), Manganese(Mn), Mercury(Hg), Nickel(Ni), Selenium(Se), Strontium(Sr), Tin(Sn), Zinc(Zn).
Conclusion
Biodegradable sunglasses is one way to elevate your style while helping the environment. Wearing these sunglasses will not only make you look good and get your eyes protected.
It can make you feel proud knowing that you are easing the environmental impact of wastes on the planet. With the unstoppable changes in our ecosystem, let’s try to live an eco-friendly lifestyle.
It starts with innovations in turning wastes into something more useful. By supporting biodegradable sunglasses, you can also help in saving the environment. Let us not be the problem for nature, rather be the solution.
