The pioneering ‘seastainable’ eyewear brand obtains certified recognition of their social and environmental commitments
Five years after creating the first “seastainable” eyewear brand, now a global leader in sustainable optics, Sea2see’s François van den Abeele has announced that the company has earned the prestigious B CorpTM certification. This certification is world-renowned and is awarded to companies that meet strict standards of social and environmental performance. The rigorous process requires that a company answers over 300 detailed question on governance, workers, communities and impact on the environment and is highly valued as a recognition of good business practice, accountability and social and environmental proactivity. Companies who receive the Certification are required to undergo verification every three years, by demonstrating ongoing positive impact.
In a statement, Sea2see’s Founder van den Abeele said: “We are proud to say that we are a certified B Corp, which for us means being part of a movement that isn’t competing to be the best in the world, it is competing to be the best FOR the world. This certification represents a tremendous step for us as we mark our 5th anniversary and reflect on our progress to date. The B CorpTM Certification reinforces our “seastainable” mission and purpose for our whole community around the world…”
François van den Abeele launched Sea2see in Barcelona, Spain in 2016 with a range of 18 “seastainable” sunglasses. Committed to a model of sustainable innovation and social responsibility, Sea2see was the first eyewear company to champion a vertically integrated sustainable business model, transforming plastic waste into a reusable raw material, and creating its own infrastructure for collecting marine plastic and therefore having a direct impact on the environment and creating a new source of income for the waste collectors. Subsequently, the raw material is used to create the high-quality frames in Italy.
Today the company is proud to offer over 300 ophthalmic and sunglass styles for men, women and junior in their lightweight colourful material and sell the line through close to 4000 optical retailers worldwide. In 2021, Sea2see launched a line of watches in the same 100% recycled material and produced to the highest quality in Switzerland.