Plastic is a huge problem; over 7.7 billion plastic bottles are used every year in the UK alone. That's around 150 bottles per year per person; it's a frightening number. Even worse is that only 45% of these bottles are recycled. The rest end up in landfills, break down and make their way into the ocean, one of our favourite playgrounds. We don't just recycle plastic bottles; we upcycle them into a better product. Each frame takes 5 plastic bottles out of this cycle and puts them on your face. The properties of this plastic are perfect for sunglasses; it's incredibly durable but can also be recycled again at the end of its life.

We wanted our frames to be tough, really tough. We designed them in a way that they can be totally flattened, under a car, or your bum or in a bag, and they will pop back into shape. Our Flex Hinge 2.0 means we can stretch them out too, and they won't snap. They are built to be incredibly tough, meaning they should last you a lifetime. By combining flexibility with durability, FacePlant sunglasses can handle just about anything you throw at them. If you manage to break them, the material can be recycled again. Our goal is for a closed-loop production where we recycle them back into frames again, which we will continue to strive for.

The lens is always the weak point of any pair of sunglasses. They are easy to scratch, and once scratched badly enough, they become unwearable. So, we decided to make our lenses out of bio nylon polymer; this material is exceedingly tough and impact-resistant but will also start to biodegrade after 10 days in the ground. Don't worry; unless you faceplant into the dirt and stay there for over a week, they won't degrade while you are wearing them. The lenses break down into biomass, water and carbon dioxide; they won't leave anything harmful in the ground. If you scratch your lenses, no problem, just pop them out and put them in the compost or the garden and get some replacement lenses from us. This will prolong the lifecycle of your sunglasses indefinitely.

We believe in our product, we've tested it to destruction, and they are not easy to break. That's why we have a lifetime guarantee on all our sunglasses. If you manage to break them, we will replace them for you, and we'll even recycle the broken pair. We're big fans of adventures and getting outdoors here at FacePlant; we appreciate that active people need equipment that can keep up with them. Whether you are nipples deep in powder in the backcountry or on a beach in the Maldives looking for perfect waves, your sunglasses should be able to survive. We are making products that last and that we hope you will love. We're not a fast-fashion brand; we're here for a long time and a good time.

We'd only be doing half a job if we made some incredibly sustainable sunglasses and then didn't think about the impact of our packaging. So we made a conscious decision to not use any plastic in our packaging process at all, not even the biodegradable plastic packaging we were offered. We have thought carefully about all our packaging and will not be using any virgin plastics at all. Our premium box, which ships with every pair of sunglasses, is made from FSC Certified Sustainable materials and can be recycled, although it's great for keeping your sunglasses safe. We also include a really soft microfibre bag made from recycled plastic bottles. It's perfect for keeping your sunglasses scratch-free and clean when you are on the go!