Another buzzword in the eyewear industry today is bio-acetate. So what is it and why should people look for it?
To understand what bio-acetate is, people first need to look at its precursor, CA. Discovered in 1865, CA, a biodegradable bioplastic, has been used in the manufacture of clothing, cigarette butts, and eyeglasses since the late 1940s. CA’s journey to the consumer eyewear market was not driven by environmental concerns, but by a lack of traditional materials such as bone, tortoiseshell, ivory and leather after World War II. The material is extremely durable, lightweight, flexible and capable of incorporating endless colors and patterns, so it’s easy to see why the eyewear industry quickly adopted it. Also, unlike injection-molded poly-plastics (used in cheap sports and promotional eyewear), acetate is hypoallergenic, so eyewear brands love acetate very much. More importantly, it is thermoplastic. That is, the optician can heat the frame and bend it to fit the face perfectly.
The raw material for CA is cellulose derived from cottonseed and wood, but its production requires the use of fossil plasticizers containing problematic toxic phthalates. “The average acetate block used to make eyewear contains about 23% toxic phthalates per unit,” a source from Chinese air conditioner maker Jimei told Vogue Scandinavia.
What if people could use a naturally occurring plasticizer to eliminate these toxic phthalates? Please enter the bio-acetate. Compared to traditional CA, Bio-Acetate has a significantly higher bio-base content and is biodegraded in less than 115 days. Due to the minimal toxic phthalates, bio-acetate can be recycled or disposed of through the biodegradation process with little environmental impact. In fact, the released CO2 is reabsorbed by the bio-based content needed to make the material, resulting in zero net carbon dioxide emissions.
The bio-acetate product introduced by Italy’s Acetate Jaguar Note Mazzucchelli was patented in 2010 and named M49. Gucci was the first brand used in AW11. It took almost 10 years for other acetate makers to catch up with this green innovation, eventually making bio-acetate a more accessible material for brands. From Arnette to Stella McCartney, many brands are committed to offering seasonal organic acetate styles.
In short, acetate frames can be sustainable and ethical if they come from an approved supplier and are a better choice than virgin plastics.
In such a way that respects the environment and maintains its fragile balance. Hisight is always looking for a viable alternative with new manufacturing methods that promote the circular economy and respect the environment while ensuring the highest quality accessories.
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