EssilorLuxottica Shifts to Recycled Nylon for Eyewear Frames
Eyewear manufacturer EssilorLuxottica is transitioning from fossil-based to renewable and recycled nylon in its production processes. The company has established an in-house recycling system at its Italian facility to reprocess manufacturing waste.
EssilorLuxottica is advancing its sustainability efforts by replacing fossil-based nylon with renewable and recycled alternatives in the production of eyewear frames. This move aligns with the company's 'Eyes on the Planet' program, aimed at reducing its environmental footprint.
The company, which uses approximately 800-900 tons of nylon annually, has developed a process to recycle nylon waste generated during frame manufacturing. Following two years of research and development, the Agordo plant in Italy now recycles these scraps, which can be reused up to seven times without compromising quality.
The Agordo facility has received International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) for its application of the mass balance approach in circular economy practices. This certification ensures material traceability from collection through production, confirming that the recycled granules meet the same high standards as virgin material.
In 2021, EssilorLuxottica introduced its first R-EA (Recycled Emporio Armani) product made entirely from recycled nylon. Building on this success and the ISCC certification, the company has expanded the use of recycled nylon to other brands, including the Tory Burch 'Recycled Eyewear Collection'.
Looking ahead, EssilorLuxottica intends to extend the ISCC certification scheme to its plants in China and Brazil. The company is also exploring new solutions to scale up its recycling capabilities and experimenting with producing recycled nylon in various colors beyond the current black.