Everyone’s claiming to be eco-friendly these days. But when it comes to sustainability, not all glasses are created equal. The same goes for prescription eyewear and reading glasses.
We’ve spent years breaking down what real sustainability looks like. Whether you wear sunnies, readers or prescription lenses, here are five questions we believe every shopper should ask before choosing a pair.
1. Can they be repaired easily?
If your sunglasses, readers or prescription glasses break, can you fix them without replacing the whole pair? Does the brand offer easy repairs?
At Good Citizens, every frame is made from five modular parts. You can repair them at home in seconds. No tools. No landfill. We also offer every spare part in our online shop.
2. Where are they made?
Location matters. Eyewear made overseas travels thousands of kilometres, adding unnecessary emissions. Many $100 to $300 frames are made for just a few dollars — so someone along the way isn’t being fairly rewarded.
Ours are made in Sydney. That means fewer carbon miles, more local jobs and personal support for the people who make them.
3. What are they made from?
Some brands say “recyclable” but use 95 percent virgin plastic and a token 5 percent recycled. Others mix materials that can’t actually be recycled — like metal logos, inner cores or hinges.
Our frames are made from 100 percent recycled PET plastic bottles. One bottle makes one pair: two arms, two hinges and a frame front. This applies to sunglasses, reading glasses and prescription frames.
4. Are they designed to last?
Real sustainability means durability.
Most people don’t think about the lenses — but cheap lenses scratch easily and UV coatings can peel off.
We use premium Carl Zeiss Vision lenses for all sunglasses and custom prescription eyewear. For our other online prescription orders, we use Essilor. Our frames are lightweight, tough and made to handle real life.
5. Do they consider people too?
Sustainability includes people.
Eighty-five percent of our orders are picked, packed and sent by people with disabilities, supported by a system we co-designed with their carers.
We manufacture in Sydney and foster strong, respectful relationships with every team member.
Sustainability isn’t a buzzword. It’s a blueprint.
Repairable. Recycled. Locally made. Built to last. People-focused.
If you're looking for sustainable sunglasses, eco-friendly reading glasses or prescription eyewear made in Australia, you're in the right place.
Thanks for being a Good Citizen.
Read our sustainability page
Visit our online store
Visit our Made in Australia page
Read about us in the global media
