INTRODUCING LE SUSTAIN - ECO AWARE COLLECTION

Driven by a desire to make eyewear more sustainable, the Le Sustain collection is committed to implementing meaningful and sustainable business practices that reduce environmental impact across every aspect of production, packaging and supply chain.

Every material is carefully selected and vetted to minimise environmental impact, promoting industry & consumers to reduce, recycle and reuse.

Focusing on every detail, every pair of Le Sustain sunglasses are packages with zero waste componentry including a recycled jersey pouch, recycled cardboard box and frame tag, eliminating all polybags and excess packaging.

DECLARATION OF RAW MATERIAL ORIGIN

The grass-based material for Le Sustain sunglasses is sourced from Biowert Germany - a green biorefinery, which is unique worldwide.

The natural fibre composite of Le Sustain grass-based sunglasses consists of 23% cellulose fibres obtained from meadow grass, and 77% recycled plastics.

Biowert declares, that the plastic fraction of this material uses pre-consumer waste from healthcare, pharmaceutical or cosmetic applications, and complies with the requirements of DIN EN ISO 14021.

Biowert obtains plastic production waste from a regional dealer who has been certified by TÜV Süd as a specialist disposal company according to § 52 KrW-/ AbfG (German decree).

Q&A WITH CREATIVE DIRECTOR, HAMISH TAME

1. When was the moment you knew you had to look into a more sustainable practice?

Moving towards more sustainable practices is something that I had been workshopping for the last five or so years, but quite honestly, it felt overwhelming at just knowing where to start.  In January 2018, we started developing the Le Sustain collection with our manufacturing partner, so this is the results of two and a half years in the making which makes me so proud.

2. We can see on the Eco Aware report there is a big focus on Gen Z - what is it about this generation that is inspiring to you? 

I am so excited that Gen-Z as an entire generation is so open to challenging the way we live and consume for a more sustainable future.  I think that previous generations have liked the idea of being more environmentally friendly, but not necessarily if it came at the cost of their lifestyle, and this is the first generation with the tools to make their voices heard.   

3. What have you learnt over the last five years creating this collection?

The most significant learning for me working on the Le Sustain collection is that there will be hurdles at every corner if we want to make a substantial difference.  The biggest challenge of working with sustainable materials has been designing around their structural and aesthetic limitations and transforming materials that tend to be aesthetically-unattractive feel beautiful and premium.

4. Will all Le Specs collections now be sustainably made?

The objective of the Le Sustain collection is to be the catalyst of change for sustainability across the entire Le Specs brand.  Over the next three years, we plan to transition all of our products and packaging with more sustainable solutions.  Some of the initiatives will be easy to implement, while other changes will need to be workshopped with our global retail partners, particularly when it comes to eliminating single-use plastic packaging.

5. Do you have a favourite frame from the collection?

I love the style Grass Half Full, which has a bevelled detail that showcases its grass texture beautifully.  My favourite shape to wear from the collection is Grass Band, which is just a great easy-to-wear everyday classic.