We like hanging out with like minded brands who are doing good for our ocean. We sat down to chat with George Bailey, Founder of sustainable and circular sunnies brand, Coral Eyewear. Coral Eyewear is the first UK based company to create and launch a collection of glasses and sunglasses made with ECONYL regenerated nylon. But that’s enough from us! Hear more from George below.
OB: What gave you the inspiration to set up Coral Eyewear?
George: When I began at university two years ago, I joined a course which focused heavily on addressing climate change and raising awareness for innovative solutions. The ‘Blue-Planet effect’ has rapidly changed behaviours with regards to single-use and virgin plastic, with reusable water bottles like Ocean Bottle and tote bags now commonplace. I wanted to create a brand which combined recycled materials with beautiful designs and durability within eyewear. With over 34 million prescriptions for vision correction in the UK alone it’s staggering the amount of plastic being used and I hope we can make a real impact with Coral Eyewear.
OB: Did you face any challenges along the way when setting up Coral Eyewear and how did you overcome them?
George: The scale of the plastic problem is so severe that using waste nylon and recycled materials is, sadly, very easy from a sourcing point of view. The biggest challenge for any sustainable brand is ensuring your products stand up to traditional products on aesthetics and performance which is why we’ve brought on some of the best British designers and based our manufacturing in Italy.
OB: How does a pair of Coral Eyewear glasses help the planet?
George: Each and every pair of glasses are produced using ECONYL® regenerated nylon which actively cleans oceans and reduces the amount of plastic entering waterways and landfill all over the world.
ECONYL® regenerated nylon is an innovative material made with harmful nylon waste that would otherwise pollute the earth, such as fishing nets and fabric scraps. The ECONYL® material additionally reduces the global warming impact of nylon by up to 90%* if compared with the material from oil, and the luxury frames are also infinitely recyclable thanks to our circular initiative, offering customers 10% off their next purchase for every old pair returned. All of our frames are shipped via a carbon-neutral delivery system and we’ve managed to ensure zero outbound plastic is used in packaging.
OB: What are your plans for the future with Coral Eyewear?
George: We want to inspire sustainable adventures and help our community see nature differently so we’ve got big plans to work alongside some of the world’s best sports teams in their quest to travel responsibly. We’ve got some new designs and colourways launching later this year, as well as more collaborations to build on our recent partnership with Marine Conservation Society.
