A: This polyamide was developed by a ZEISS team from different departments who collaborated to create this exceptional product. It represents an important contribution to the sustainability process the company is undertaking. ZEISS Sunlens developed an environmentally-friendly plano lens through the improvement of the production process and the use of bio-based raw material. The result is a production process that reduces carbon dioxide emissions - an improvement that is certified throughout the value chain by independent organizations.

A: Up until now our company has always been very attentive to the environmental and legal aspects, with a constant effort to reduce our impact and consumption. For this polyamide we took a step further. In the new lens production process, we decided to use the mass balance approach where 39% bio-based raw materials have replaced the fossil resources that were previously used in the supply chain. The organic raw material itself comes from the waste produced by the agricultural and the lumber industries. The mass balance approach is an accounting method that ensures the sustainable bio-based raw materials are blended in upstream facilities with fossil-based raw materials. They are then allocated downstream exclusively to the production of plano sun lenses following the principle of verified volumes in every step of the supply chain. On top of that, our Italian plant is fully powered by electricity coming from renewable sources. This makes a huge difference on our carbon footprint. The carbon footprint of this lens has been reduced by 50% compared to a fully fossil-based manufacturing process. The new climate-friendly sun lenses maintain the features, high-quality standards, and optical performance of their previous polyamide counterparts.  

A: REDcert2 (scheme principles for the certification of sustainable material flows for the chemical industry) is one of the few international sustainability certification schemes covering all stages of the value chain with uniformed and harmonized criteria and therefore offering a guarantee of integrity for the sustainability attributes associated with the certified product. We are proud of the certification obtained, which once again offers proof of our transparency and seriousness about an important and contemporary issue, as well as representing added value to an already high-quality product.

A: The chemical industry makes constant progress in making their polymers less fossil-based and more biomass based. As such we, like many other industry players, rely on our material suppliers and partners to substitute more and more biomass materials in the raw materials. The use of exclusively renewable energy in the Italian plant and in much of the production process is significantly cutting the emissions of CO2. Besides, every improvement in the production process in reducing the resources necessary is a step towards more environmentally friendly developments.

A: As we all experienced, getting out as normal hasn’t been that easy in the past years. However, we’re glad to see this time seems to be behind us and our customers in most regions and segments. We have observed an increasing demand in sports and technical equipment lately. After the lock-down and the circulation restrictions we had to face in the past months, consumers seem eager to get outdoors again and practice sports regularly. Consequently, we have been challenged by the market to work hard on the development of innovative and new solutions that enhance the visual performance while training and playing sports in the open air.

A: Yes, we will be there and happy to meet our partners and customers after a long time. It is the first international fair we are attending after the lockdowns, and it is a very important opportunity for us to be able to present all our novelties in terms of materials, colours and treatments. In fact, in these two years, our R&D department has continued to explore the sector with the curiosity that distinguishes us to create innovative sun lenses.

A: Last year we celebrated a very important birthday: the 175th anniversary of the company...a goal that we are proud to have reached because it is proof of our history, the exploration towards sectors that involve the use of lenses, the experience acquired over the years and the trust we have gained with our customers. MIDO will certainly be an important moment to remember this birthday and celebrate it together with those who have always been by our side and with those who want to join us to discover all the products and services we offer.

www.zeiss.com/sunlens