Sustainability And The Future Of Eyewear: Ecodesign, Materials And Processes
Sustainability today is a concrete lever that directly impacts innovation, competitiveness and value. No longer a marginal or purely reputational issue, it is a factor that guides design, industrial and strategic choices across the eyewear industry. The day placed a spotlight on this shift with a dedicated focus on the future of eyewear, centred on responsible design, materials and the transformation of production processes.
At The Vision Stage, the talk “Designing the future of eyewear: ecodesign between choices, materials and sustainable processes”, coordinated by Anna Zandanel, highlighted a key point: sustainability today is not a claim, but a design responsibility that directly affects product value and long-term business resilience. Data presented showed that up to 80% of a product’s environmental impact is determined during the design phase, making ecodesign a strategic lever capable of generating tangible change across the entire supply chain.
The discussion approached sustainability as a structured process encompassing materials, production flows and corporate organisation. Durability and repairability emerged as key market factors as well: longer-lasting, repairable products increase purchase intent and strengthen trust between brands and consumers. In this sense, ecodesign was presented as a tool to combine environmental responsibility, competitiveness and differentiation.
Within this framework, contributions from Luca Casarotto, Professor of Product Design at IUAV University of Venice, explored the role of design choices in reducing impacts and activating collaborative recycling models, while Anna Pellizzari, Head of Advisory at Materially, highlighted how sustainable materials, industrial symbiosis and transparent communication are decisive in transforming innovation into real value. This approach also engages with the European regulatory landscape, including new eco-design criteria, the digital product passport and growing attention to end-of-life management.
The talk thus confirmed MIDO’s role as an advanced platform for dialogue, where sustainability is understood not as an obligation, but as a conscious design choice capable of influencing products, supply chains and markets.
The topic was further explored in the session “Behind the lens: microplastics in the optical sector. Environmental impacts of microplastics and practical approaches to managing them”, curated by CERTOTTICA.
The talk drew attention to a phenomenon that is often invisible yet increasingly central to the eyewear sector: the release of microplastics throughout the entire supply chain, from lens production to processing and disposal. Through data, studies and real-world cases, Marco Calvi (Group Research & Innovation Manager at Certottica), together with Michelangelo Lamonaca and Anna Mair (Ökoinstitut Südtirol / Alto Adige), outlined a clear picture of the environmental impacts and potential health risks associated with microplastics — from ecosystem contamination to effects on animal and human organisms.
Particular attention was paid to the lens grinding phase, identified as one of the critical points for microplastic generation, especially in decentralised production contexts.
The discussion also provided a clear overview of the European regulatory framework, with a focus on EU Regulation 2023/2055 and the timelines for the implementation of restrictions on polymer microparticles, highlighting the need to support companies - particularly smaller ones - with appropriate tools, skills and guidance.
The message was clear and widely shared: managing microplastics is not only an environmental issue, but an industrial and cultural challenge, requiring research, technological innovation, investment and greater awareness throughout the entire supply chain.
At MIDO, sustainability also finds concrete expression through the CSE Award - Certified Sustainable Eyewear, recognising exhibitors that interpret sustainability as a real and measurable commitment, assessed on criteria related to waste and consumption reduction, use of recycled materials, supply chains, processes and renewable energy. Alongside this award, the show also introduces the new CSE Corporate Award, designed to highlight companies that truly integrate ESG principles into their policies, turning sustainability into a strategic and ongoing choice.