As oil reserves run low and discarded plastic starts to choke our oceans, recycled sunnies are becoming an international buzzword.

Humans send eight million metric tonnes of plastic into the marine environment each year and the pollutant has been found as far south as the Antarctic and as deep as the Mariana trench. As New Zealand steps up its attempts to remove plastic from our lives, many companies are starting to focus on the end of life of their products, and how they can be reused. That’s where recycled sunwear comes in.

“I grew up by the sea in Sweden, and travelled the world as a surfer,” says Robbert Wefers Bettink, co-founder of Dick Moby, a recycled sunglasses company that launched in 2014. “Most surfers rely on plastic sunglasses, and you see them discarded on the beach. We (Robbert and his business partner Tim) wanted to make sunglasses that were easier on the environment.”

Recycling acetate turned out to not be an option at first, so the pair developed their own bio-acetate. Later, along with acetate producer Mazzucchelli, they were able to process acetate waste into their black frames, which are made from made from 97% recycled industrial PET and 3% colour. They use Teflon coated screws and Zeiss lenses to improve the longevity of the product, and they look super cool too. Even their cases and cleaning cloths are made from recycled materials.

“We hope that by wearing these glasses people will also think more about their impact on the environment.”

Currently only available in NZ via direct purchase online, they’ve recently launched a range of optical frames as well.

Established in 2015, LA-based Norton Point actually take plastic from the ocean and turn it into sunspecs. They also re-invest 5% of profits into research, education and development in the area of marine pollution. They pledge to remove about 500g of plastic from the ocean for every pair of sunglasses made, and they are the first line of eyewear made from recovered high-density polyethylene – basically, the plastic in disposable bottles. Their strapline is ‘sea plastic differently’, which is pretty neat too. Again, they’re only available via direct purchase online, and their product range is quite limited right now, but definitely one to watch.

Not to be left out, Kiwis are also doing their bit on the sustainable eyewear front: Hawkes Bay-based company Duskies are making stylish eco-eyewear from mostly recycled materials.

“It’s very important to us to keep our product as sustainable as possible as we have a considerable following of conscious consumers,” says the enigmatic ‘Macca’, co-owner of Duskies who was inspired to create the product after seeing plastic waste at festivals. “Society is moving this way at a very steady speed, so any changes we can make to step away from plastics and use sustainable products in day-to-day life is certainly a positive one in my view.”

Using FSC-certified wood such as walnut and rosewood, Macca creates veneers which are then laminated, making each pair of Duskies completely unique. They also use recycled aluminium, cotton acetate and beeswax and offer some optical frames as well.

“We recently collaborated with New Zealand winery Mt Difficulty, based in Central Otago, recycling their pinot noir oak wine barrels into oak sunglasses frames, we would love to do more of these projects and are constantly seeking new ideas of what can be recycled into our Duskies frames.”

Their frames are bio-degradable and they’re actively seeking a plant-based bio-lens partner.

A recent addition to the New Zealand eyewear scene is Lewis Fredericks, launched by law and accounting students Josh Bowden and Auguste Gruar. Using a completely different type of ‘recycling’, the frames are handmade from ox, ram and buffalo horn – the horn is a by-product of farming these animals that would otherwise be wasted.

“We have tried to make it as clear as possible that the horn we use is a by-product – just like leather – so it’s cool to be using a material that is sustainable,” said Bowden and Gruar in a recent interview with Fashion Quarterly. “Not only is horn impossible to replicate, making each frame completely unique, but it is also a very lightweight, strong and hypoallergenic material. It was a no-brainer really.”

Their frames can be used for both optical lenses and as sunglasses.

Sustainable eyewear line Evergreen is currently exclusively stocked by Clearly.co.nz in New Zealand. Each pair is made from 95% recycled materials, including recycled metals, and the company are committed to planting a tree in a developing country for each purchase made.

Last but not least, Proof Eyewear, founded in 2010 by Idaho brothers Tanner, Brooks and Taylor, has gone from Brooks’ garage to global leader in just a few short years. The entire product is made from recycled materials including FSC-certified wood, cotton-based acetate, and repurposed skateboard decks. They also help fund a number of global eye health and sustainability projects, donating US$50k worth of glasses, paying for 240 cataract surgeries and screening almost 6000 people for health issues in 2017. Contact them to buy direct.