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Creating a sunglass frame with recycled plastic?
- This topic has 2 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 4 years ago by
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Hello Dave and everyone in this community!
I’ve been watching some videos from your Precious Plastic project and I really admire your entrepreneur spirit and the causes you are defending!
I’ve always been interested in launching my own Sunglasses business, and I think bringing together a Sunglass Business and your project could be a great idea.
That’s why I would like to ask you guys if you think it’s possible to create quality sunglasses frames based on recycled plastic. If yes, what type of plastic would you use?
Also if someone is interested and would like to start this project let me know!
Alexandre
Portugal
Hi Alexandre, since I read your post last week I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
I’ve been reading about sunglasses frames and there is a lot of types of plastic they are made of. For example:
POLYCARBONATE
Resistant sunglasse frames (used in sports, safety googles).
It is thermally resistant up to 130 °C.
Polycarbonate plastic products:
-Data storage including, CDs, DVDs, blu-ray discs, etc.
-Lenses including sunglasses, prescription glasses, automotive headlamps, riot shields, instrument panels.
-Electrical and telecommunications hardware
-Construction materials such as dome lights, sound walls, etc.
-Automotive, aircraft, and security components
-Medical applications
It is 100% recyclable.
CELLULOSE ACETATE
where you can find it? cellulose acetate films, magnetic tapes, butts of cigarettes..
Melting point of Cellulose Acetate: 493-513 K
It is interesting to study acetate recycling because it is found in cigarettes, and there are millions of them. It is a good found of raw material for sunglasses frames. I read it can be purified to eliminate toxins… The problem with it is that recycling the cigarette butts costs more than the resulting recycled material can be sold for.
LINKS:
About Sunglasses frames
Post about TerraCycle (Cigarette butts – Cellulose Acetate)
About Polycarbonate
Everything you need to know about PC
I hope I’ve helped you, please keep us updated… Greetings from Argentina !
Alexandre,
We were talking through this same idea the other day. One of the things we concluded would be important would be to figure out how to make it a single piece mold that could flex slightly to fit peoples faces. Traditional glasses are made of at least 7 pieces (the lens frame, two ear pieces, two pins or screws to allow the ear pieces to fold, and two lenses). To be able to be successful with our small scale recycling model we need to cut out as many manufacturing steps as possible. I think that a single piece lens-less “sunglass” could be really trendy and catch on, especially given our ability to create unique color combinations. Experimenting with more flexible PE plastics is a good place to start I think.
Aloha,
Josh
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