Envision a more sustainable future for fashion — and the world — with the right pair of eco-friendly glasses.
The sustainable eyewear brands in this guide use materials like upcycled plastic, reclaimed skateboards, bamboo, and plant-based biodegradable acetate.
And, you’ll see that many of these brands have a number of other sustainable practices, such as take-back programs, local production, thoughtful packaging, inclusive hiring practices, and donation initiatives.
A far cry from most sunglasses, which are usually made cheaply from virgin petroleum-based plastic and are destined to break after a couple of months!
Note that this guide includes partners and affiliates. As always, brands featured meet strict standards for sustainability and are brands we love — and that we think you’ll love, too.
1. Sunski
With eco-friendly sunglasses made out of recycled materials and shipped in plastic-free packaging, Sunski is mindful of their resource use throughout their supply chain.
Conscious Qualities: Recycled Materials, Plastic-Free Packaging, Lifetime Warranty
Price: $48 – $98 | Categories: Sunglasses & Blue Light Glasses, Alpine Sunglasses
2. MONC
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For sleek glasses designed to last a lifetime, take a look at MONC’s optical glasses and sunglasses. Each pair of MONC glasses are made from carefully sourced materials and thoughtfully made by a small team of craftspeople in Italy.
Conscious Qualities: Slow-Made, Ethical Production
Price: $240-316 | Categories: Optical & Sunglasses
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3. Woodze
Woodze has sustainable sunglasses with polarized and non-polarized options made from materials like recycled skateboards, wood, and cellulose acetate. You can also send back your Woodze sunglasses back to the brand to be recycled, too!
Conscious Qualities: Reclaimed Materials, Locally Made, Small-Batch Production
Price: $95-$115 | Category: Sunglasses
4. SeaClean
Glasses USA actually has an impressive eco-friendly eyeglasses collection. The sustainable eyewear collection, called SeaClean, is made from 100% upcycled plastic bottles and is also 100% recyclable. (Also check out Glasses USA’s bamboo eyewear collection.)
Conscious Qualities: Recycled Materials, Donation Initiative
Price: $98+ | Categories: Optical & Sunglasses
5. Panda
Panda makes their sustainable sunglasses frames entirely from FSC-certified bamboo and each pair also comes in a bamboo case! Bamboo not only grows rapidly, but it’s self-regenerating, needs less water, and produces more oxygen than other woods. (Check out more on bamboo here.)
Conscious Qualities: Sustainable Materials, Donation Initiative
Price: $120-$125 | Category: Sunglasses
6. Ozeano
Australian eyewear brand Ozeano handcrafts sustainable eyeglasses and sunglasses made from certified biodegradable, plant-based acetate locally in Australia. Each pair comes in an organic cotton pouch and FSC-certified cork carrying case, plus a organic cotton cleaning cloth.
Conscious Qualities: Sustainable Materials, Eco-Friendly Case & Packaging, Take-Back Program, Donation Initiative
Price: $199-$274 | Categories: Optical & Sunglasses
7. Dick Moby
Amsterdam-based sustainable eyewear brand Dick Moby has eyeglasses and sunglasses made from biodegradable plant-based acetate, recycled acetate, or recycled metal, depending on the collection. Each pair of glasses from Dick Moby also comes in a recycled leather case and rPET pouch.
Conscious Qualities: Eco-Friendly Materials, Handcrafted to Last
Price: €185-€205 | Categories: Optical & Sunglasses
8. Proof Eyewear
One of the pioneers of eco-friendly glasses, Proof Eyewear handcrafts each pair of their optical and sunglasses from materials like recycled aluminum and sustainably-sourced wood. The brand also gives back through a number of initiatives.
Conscious Qualities: Eco-Friendly Materials, Gives Back
Price: $65-$114 | Category: Optical & Sunglasses
The post See a Brighter Future With These 8 Sustainable Optical and Sunglasses appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
See a Brighter Future With These 8 Sustainable Optical and Sunglasses
There’s something undeniably special about wearing uniquely handcrafted, fair trade jewelry that you can know was made slowly and thoughtfully with care. Equally special is wearing an elevated set of jewelry crafted with recycled materials and sustainable processes.
Whether you’re looking for an investment piece or more affordable pieces, there are options for any budget on this list. The aesthetics of these fair trade and sustainable jewelry brands also vary, so you’ll also be able to discover an ethical brand that matches your unique style.
What is Fair Trade Jewelry?
Fair trade can both be a general term used to describe a brand’s sourcing practices — like direct relationships with artisan cooperatives, wages above local standard rates, and safe working conditions — or a third-party “Fair Trade” verification through an organization like Fair Trade Federation, Fair Trade USA, or World Fair Trade Organization. When a brand doesn’t have a certification, we verify a brand’s practices by their own published information.
In the cases where brands do go the extra mile and get a third-party verification for their fair trade practices, we’ve noted it directly in their entries.
Note that this guide includes affiliate links and partners. As always, we only feature brands that meet high standards for responsibility we love, and that we think you’ll love too!
2. Ana Luisa
Best for: affordable everyday jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Recycled Gold, Lab-Grown Diamonds, Small-Batch Production, Direct-to-Consumer
Ana Luisa creates stunning, elegant jewelry from responsibly-sourced materials including 100% recycled gold and lab-grown diamonds. The sustainable jewelry brand also produces in small batches to minimize waste.
By using a direct-to-consumer model, Ana Luisa is able to provide luxury, high-quality jewelry at accessible prices.
3. Monica Vinader
Best for: recycled demi-fine jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Woman-Founded, Recycled Silver & Gold Vermeil, Traceable Gemstones, Lab-Grown & Conflict-Free Diamonds, Supply Chain Transparency
Price Range: $85 (studs) – $2,495 (diamond ring)
British jewelry brand Monica Vinader was one of the first brands to meet the gap between fashion jewelry and fine jewelry with their “demi fine” jewelry. The women-founded brand has necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings crafted from 100% recycled sterling silver and gold vermeil, fully traceable gemstones, and lab-grown or conflict-free diamonds. Monica Vinader also launched Product Passports, taking an active effort towards full supply chain transparency.
4. WorldFinds
Best for: unique statement jewelry with a story
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Verified, Upcycled Materials, Artisan-Made
WorldFinds provides sustainable employment and just wages for hundreds of women artisans in India and Bali. These artisans handcraft both sleek metal fair trade jewelry and unique recycled Kantha pieces. WorldFinds is Verified by the Fair Trade Federation, which assesses members against fair trade principles including fair wages, safe conditions, and transparent supply chains.
Plus WorldFinds’ signature Kantha jewelry is made from upcycling materials: wood scraps from a furniture factory and locally sourced Kantha fabric remnants.
5. Astor + Orion
Best for: drop earrings and charm necklaces with symbolism
Conscious Qualities: Certified Ethical Factory, Recycled Materials, Designed for Recyclability, Repair Program
Ethical jewelry brand Astor + Orion sources their jewelry from a factory with multiple certifications ensuring worker safety, fair production practices, and responsible environmental management. Astor + Orion’s stunning jewelry is made from recycled materials and designed in a way to make it easily recyclable! Their pieces also come with a quality assurance — the brand will repair any piece within 6 months of purchase.
6. Laura Elizabeth
Best for: non-toxic jewelry in organic shapes
Conscious Qualities: Locally Sourced Recycled Metals, Woman-Owned, Fair Wages, Safe Working Conditions
Price Range: $45 – $330
Crafted from recycled metals sourced locally in LA, Laura Elizabeth creates stand-out sustainable jewelry. All of the brand’s jewelry is sourced ethically from a small, woman-owned studio in Los Angeles that ensures reasonable working hours (35 hr/week), fair wages, and safe working conditions (such as proper ventilation). Check out more on Laura Elizabeth in this post!
The jewelry is also non-toxic, free of cadmium or lead.
7. Ten Thousand Villages
Best for: giftable fair trade jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Production, Artisan-Made
Price Range: $6 – $175
Founded in 1946, Ten Thousand Villages is one of the fair trade pioneers and a founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), the global network that verifies fair trade practices across its member organizations.
They’ve developed relationships with artisans around the world, providing valuable economic opportunities for thousands of makers in 30 countries around the world. Their marketplace has handmade necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings, along with a variety of other fair trade goods.
8. Edge of Ember
Best for: gemstone jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Recycled Gold & Silver, Artisan-Made, Ethical Production
Price Range: $49 (ear cuff) – $2,730 (diamond tennis bracelet)
Edge of Ember’s timeless jewelry is responsibly crafted by makers working in artisan groups and small-scale factories. Their delicate necklaces, bracelets, rings, and other pieces are crafted by skilled artisans in India, Hong Kong, Germany, and Thailand. The brand carries out independent social audits to ensure ethical working conditions and environmental responsibility.
Edge of Ember has a wide selection of recycled gold and silver rings, bracelets, and necklaces adorned with stunning gemstones, including many birthstone jewelry options perfect for gifting.
9. Aurate
Best for: ethical diamond fine jewelry
Conscious Qualities: 100% Recycled Gold, Lab-Grown & Conflict-Free Diamonds, Vintage Collection
Price Range: $18 (stainless steel chain) – $19,000 (diamond tennis necklace)
Responsibly-sourced quality jewelry — that’s Aurate’s promise. The jewelry brand’s sleek, timeless pieces are thoughtfully made by seventh-generation craftspeople using 100% recycled gold and lab-grown or conflict-free diamonds.
Aurate also has a curated collection of vintage fine jewelry from cocktail watches to signet rings up to 50% off.
10. SOKO
Best for: modern, minimalist artisan-made jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Above-Market Artisan Wages, Black-Owned
Price Range: $78 – $298
SOKO is an innovative Black-owned ethical jewelry brand using mobile tools to bridge the barriers for artisan entrepreneurs in Kenya. In partnership with SOKO, independent artisans can operate a “virtual factory”, earning 5x more than an average artisan workshop in their local areas.
The jewelry is made with 24K gold or silver-plated brass — an affordable metal that also happens to consist of 90% recycled content on average. Other materials include reclaimed horn and bone, locally-sourced teak wood offcuts, and ceramic beads made by a fair trade women’s collective in Kenya.
10. Raven + Lily
Best for: affordable artisan jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Verified, Artisan-Made, Women-Led
Price Range: $40 – $240
Raven + Lily is an ethical fashion and jewelry brand verified Fair Trade by the Fair Trade Federation. The women-led brand partners with artisan women around the world who use natural materials to craft both classic, elegant pieces and statement jewelry.
11. NAKIIT
Best for: one-of-a-kind, solo-handcrafted pieces
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-Order, Recycled Silver & Gold, Zero-Waste Scrap Recycling
Price Range: $21 – $485
As a small, slow-minded jewelry brand, NAKIIT’s founder + owner handcrafts each piece with intention. In fact, every piece of jewelry the brand sells is made by the founder herself!
Nearly all of NAKIIT’s ethically-made jewelry is either made-to-order or one-of-a-kind, ensuring a minimal ecological impact and the highest attention to quality.
As if we could love this brand even more, NAKIIT also sources recycled sterling silver and gold, plus recycles any remaining metal scraps or dust after production.