Acetate vs Plastic: What glasses frames should you put on your face?

The future of fashion is sustainable. In recent years, consumers are getting rigorously conscious of what food they are consuming to what they are purchasing to wear. The stride to the eco-friendly decision in creating a cleaner environment is something we are all continually trying to achieve on a global scale. This evolution took no time to spread over the gigantic eyewear Industries where plastic use dominates. It is quite rare where we pay attention to the material of our glasses frames. Though it is very vital that you know your materials of the frame you invest in since it has a significant impact on the planet.

Glasses are now becoming one of the sought-after fast-fashion accessories. Hence the focus on making it more sustainable is the responsibility of many eyewear companies. The best way possible is ensuring the material of the frames which compose 70% of your glasses. Today, we will discuss the most common materials used in the eyewear Industry. And why one material i.e. acetate is far better than plastic.

What are Acetate frames?

Acetate comes from a material called cellulose acetate. Plant-based cellulose acetate comes from natural sources of cotton or wood chips. It appears transparent and lustrous from both sides and hence used significantly in making frames for its aesthetic purpose. It is also biodegradable and hypoallergenic. That makes it suitable for any skin without causing any skin problems.

It was first used in eyewear in the late 1940s for its powerful performance and rigid yet flexible nature. Now, it\'s not only popular for being strong & extremely lightweight, but it also possesses rich colour, see-through transparency and flexible design.

Acetate frames were quite different from all other materials like titanium, wood and metals. The process of curving them into frames is a highly detailed handcraft. Acetate frames are carved out of large blocks of nylon-based plastic. Each part of the frames is then cut out of the block. Then it is hand polished and is ready for the lens fitting.

What are Plastic frames?

Plastic frames are made of plastic. Plastic frame production is an effortless process since all plastic-based eye frames are created by injection moulding by machine. The process involves heating the plastic until liquefaction after that it is placed into a mould. When it cools down, the plastic frame is composed.

It does not take an immense amount of time to produce and is available at a very cheap rate to the consumers. Plastic frames don’t possess a naturally rich colour hence it is painted on which with use turns wears out.

How is the Acetate glasses better?

Before deciding on which frame you’d want to settle on, we’ve composed three vital questions that will help you narrow down your options.

Are your frames:

• Made to last

• designed to be eco friendly

Based on the above questions, here’s why acetate glasses are an optimal option

Durable: Acetate glasses are composed of nylon-based plastic which offers powerful performance and is highly durable. Acetate glasses are also more resistant to pressure placed upon them since its nature is flexible, it bends easily without breaking.

Environmental impact: Our acetate glasses are semi-synthetic material. Which means that its base material comes from plants (pulp from trees mostly). Hence acetate glasses are completely biodegradable and ethical to use. Bio-acetate is always a better option than plastic, which take hundreds of years to biodegrade

With our above discussion, it is safe to say that Acetate glasses are sustainable, composed of visual-rich colours and durable companions for the long run. Specscart also contributes a helping hand to promote a greener-future by not endorsing any plastic use as we don\'t render any plastic frames ourselves. We constraint from plastic use and promote a better alternative i.e acetate glasses. This is one of the powerful cause that we feel strongly about and integrate into our core