Our Sustainability Journey
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rethink!
At Opticaid, we are committed to sustainability. We take a transparent approach in sharing both the strides we’ve made and the challenges we continue to face. Our goal is not to greenwash but to demonstrate genuine efforts in rethinking our business practices and products.
Through careful consideration, we are focusing on reducing waste, reusing materials, recycling where possible, and rethinking every step of our processes—from sourcing products to final product delivery. This commitment is woven into everything we do, and we aim to make meaningful, impactful changes that will benefit our customers and our world.
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Product Initiatives
Each product we sell is designed with longevity in mind while reducing its environmental impact.
Over 60% of our Remaldi® glasses are now made from recycled materials such as drinks bottles, food containers and bottle tops. These RPC and RPCTG frames repurpose plastic waste which otherwise would enter landfill. We’re currently trialling Recycled PMMA (Poly Methyl Methacrylate) lenses with a hope of using these in our reading glasses, but we also need to ensure the material meets our clarity and quality standards.
In 2025, we’ve introduced our first premium range of reading glasses made from plant-based S70 bio acetate. This material boasts many environmental accolades, such as being ISCC compliant, being over 90% biodegradable in 180 days (in specified conditions), and being BPA-free. This new range reduces our reliance on traditional plastic but also ensures our products are more sustainable going forward. Based on the success of this range, we hope to introduce more bio-acetate glasses.
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Reusing & Recycling Materials
Each time we create or rebuy a Remaldi® product we remove any unnecessary plastic packaging such as wrapping, tags, or box windows – one such example is the latest collection of RFID aluminium wallets. Not only is the casing now made from recycled plastic, but the plastic wrapping has been removed. For the small amount of plastic that remains, we ensure it contains at least 30% recycled content, and is recyclable.
At Opticaid, reusing materials is a key principle. We extend the life of packaging materials by reusing boxes and packing components. All our glasses travel to our warehouse in cardboard boxes. These are then reused when we send out trade orders so there is very little waste! The shipping boxes are used as void fillers too!
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Rethinking Our Working Practices
Sustainability is about what we sell and how we operate. Our practices have been fine-tuned to minimise our environmental footprint, and we strive to improve them at every opportunity.
One of the biggest changes is now buying two seasons at one time, reducing the need to travel and shipment frequency. We now consolidate more orders and use fewer supplier partners. If we need to travel it is within the UK and Europe rather than further destinations. By planning ahead we very rarely have to courier or air goods and opt for the more economical and environmentally friendly sea route.
Moving Forward
At Opticaid, we understand that true sustainability is a journey, not a destination. We will continue to develop products from recycled materials and other sustainable materials, reduce waste, reuse materials, and rethink our processes at every opportunity.
While we acknowledge the challenges, we are driven by the desire to make a positive environmental impact while continuing to offer our customers high-quality eyewear.
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