Opinion Article, Mais Magazine, distributed with Jornal Expresso, October 2025
Pedro Rebelo de Sousa
Senior Partner and Founder of SRS; Chairman of the General Assembly and Founder of AASO
(This page was supported by OPTOCENTRO, founding member of AASO)
The concept of sustainability, in its genuine feasibility, has, over the last decades, become one of the most important references for guiding the development and progress of contemporary societies. However, despite its widespread use—often abused and emptied of its real meaning—the challenge remains to translate this ideal into concrete practices within specific sectors of the economy. In the optical ecosystem, traditionally associated with visual health, fashion, and the consumption of durable goods and accessories, sustainability takes on unique contours that intersect ethics, social responsibility, environmental preservation, and technological innovation. This sector, with its vast value chain, encompasses multiple activities and dimensions: from the selection of raw materials, to the production of frames, lenses, cases, cloths, and other products, to the way they are distributed, marketed, and discarded. Each of these stages generates significant environmental impacts. Reflection on this topic, therefore, cannot be reduced to an academic exercise or a set of intentions. It must translate into the implementation of concrete good practices.
AASO – the Association for Supporting Sustainability in Optics – emerged from the will of a group of citizens, some with activities outside the sector, but deeply aware of the urgent need to act in defense of more responsible, fair, and sustainable practices, aligned with the values of a society that demands transparency, commitment, and coherence. We recognize that human activity cannot be conducted irresponsibly and without limits, ignoring the finiteness of natural resources. The optical sector, benefiting from resources such as metals, plastics, cotton (for frames, cases, and accessories), and energy, must acknowledge that present use of these essential goods will inevitably impact future generations. Professionals and companies cannot limit themselves to meeting the immediate needs of consumption: it is necessary to question the origin, the life cycle, and the final destination of each product placed on the market.
This industry, like any other, has a significant ecological footprint. Eyeglass frames, for example, are often produced in acetate and injected plastic, materials derived from petroleum and difficult to recycle. Their usual destination is landfill or incineration, with negative impacts on the planet. Disposable contact lenses, used by around 150 million people worldwide, generate tons of plastic waste that is difficult to treat. Many end up being disposed of in sinks or toilets, contributing to ocean pollution and threatening marine life.
It is estimated that 30% of the global population—around 2.43 billion people—use some type of glasses, which represents, for each frame produced, 4.86 billion ophthalmic lenses whose production involves chemical processes that, if not properly treated, result in polluting discharges. Water, a fundamental resource in this process, is often wasted in large quantities. But sustainability is not limited to environmental protection: it also requires ensuring decent working conditions at all stages of the production chain, from lens and frame factories to local workshops. A sustainable optical industry must reject labor exploitation, fight inequalities, and promote social inclusion, ensuring that visual health is a universal right and not just a privilege for those who can afford it.
Founded in September 2022, AASO is a non-profit organization that has managed to bring together representative companies from the industry, retail, and sector associations. Its challenging mission is to transform mindsets and find solutions to the challenges of reducing the carbon footprint, both in production processes and at the end of the product life cycle. A first step is the adoption of ecological materials: certified wood frames, bamboo, biodegradable acetate, or recycled metals are already a reality in pioneering brands. In addition, the development of bio-based plastics, produced from renewable resources such as corn or sugarcane, paves the way for less polluting solutions. The association recently implemented the CRR – Waste Collection Circuit, a selective collection system for glasses and lenses, promoting a circular economy based on reuse, recycling, and extending the useful life of products.
Visual health is an essential pillar of quality of life, yet access to glasses and lenses is still not universal. In many developing countries, millions of people remain without adequate vision correction, limiting their ability to study, work, and live with dignity. A sustainable optical industry must also integrate this dimension of social equity, creating business models that enable democratic access to visual care.
Sustainability in optics is, above all, an ethical imperative: it is not only about protecting the planet, but also about respecting human dignity, ensuring social justice, and promoting transparency. Help us defend this cause, which belongs to everyone.
