bow • r21
upcycled polycarbonate
The Opportunity
While not a certified process or included in our bow index, it is an effective method to ensure minimal wastage in eyewear production. By isolating, sorting, cleaning and reconstituting our own waste, bbase offers an upcycled option to manufacture injection frames and eyewear.
r21 is a post-industrial, upcycled polycarbonate sustainable material for injection eyewear.
Composition & Production
Polycarbonate is one of the most commonly used petrol based material in injection eyewear. The process of injecting the plastic into moulds generates a significant amount of waste, and bbase’s r21 method uses this waste to re-introduce it back into the supply chain at the maximum value.
Benefits
Low material wastage
Post-Consumer material
Material performance is very similar to virgin polycarbonate
To Note
Resin ID code 7 – some municipalities will recycle this material, other do not.
Recycling r21 is dependant on the finish, some colour applications leave this material not able to be recycled a second time.
Recycling limited to 1-2 times as material progressively becomes more brittle.
Certifications
No accreditation currently available for this process.
