Optic Nerve, the Denver-based sport sunglass manufacturer, will debut a new collection of eco-friendly sunglasses at the Summer Outdoor Retailer show this July. The FORESEE Collection will consist of four polarized sunglass styles, constructed from 100% organic materials.
The FORESEE frame material is produced from 100% organic castor bean oil and closely resembles the TR90 nylon construction currently used in Optic Nerve’s other sunglasses in density and durability. There are no petroleum-based products in the frame material or the rubber bridge pads and temple tips.
The frame painting process has been eliminated on the FORESEE styles and replaced with Hyper-polishing, a process which provides a unique luster and highly tactile, satin finish to the frames without using paint. The resulting color of the FORESEE frames reflect a rich marble black.
Additionally, the sunglass bag included with the FORESEE sunglasses is made from bamboo, a highly sustainable and renewable fiber source. The four FORESEE styles – the Maxfield, Gemini, Krones and Stonefly – are all available with Optic Nerve’s polarized lens technology which eliminates 99.9% of the glare that bounces off water, snow and rocks and will all retail for $69. The collection will be available to consumers in the fall of 2009.
“We wanted to make a statement about true green thinking,” said Tom Fox, Optic Nerve co-Founder and Product Designer. “ As a company, we are committed to operating in a clean and sustainable fashion.”
In 2008, Optic Nerve moved into their new energy efficient, solar-powered offices in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. The 10,000 square foot building was designed with foam core concrete block engineering and has 62 solar panels that provide up to 10,000 watts at peak capacity. Annually, the solar photovoltaic (PV) system, which is quiet and produces clean energy with no emissions, will save over 13,200 Kilowatt-hours. Installing one kilowatt of solar power is the equivalent of planting 50 trees. The company has also created a comprehensive recycling program and encourages environmentally friendly business practices both in and out of the office.