“Recycling Reimagined, One Pair at a Time.”
It starts with waste – the kind most systems can’t handle. We have developed a way to transform it into a material that’s strong, smooth, and surprisingly good-looking. The result? Sunglasses that don’t just look good – they do good.
Made from ~90% recycled materials
Use sustainable and plastic-free packaging made by Corugami.
Neutralize the carbon footprint of our delivery with Farmers For Forests.
Each pair of Without sunglasses diverts approximately 5 packets of chips – waste from landfills or oceans, giving new life to materials that would otherwise contribute to environmental pollution.
Without sunglasses represent our commitment to environmental stewardship through innovative design and responsible manufacturing.
By utilizing recycled MLP, we’re diverting difficult-to-recycle materials from landfills and oceans. Each pair of sunglasses repurpose approximately 31g of packaging waste, that is ~5 packets of chips, that would otherwise contribute to environmental pollution.
Our manufacturing process uses 85% less water compared to traditional sunglasses production. We’ve implemented closed-loop water systems in our facilities to minimise water consumption and prevent pollution.
Our production facilities currently run on grid power, with future goals to shift to 100% renewable energy. The whole process requires significantly less energy than producing virgin materials, resulting in 60% reduction in overall energy consumption.
Without sunglasses have a 50% smaller carbon footprint compared to conventional sunglasses. We offset the remaining emissions through verified carbon offset projects focused on reforestation and renewable energy.
~5 PACKETS OF CHIPS
1 rSUNGLASSES
We believe that sustainability is a journey, not a destination. We’re continuously improving our processes, materials, and supply chain to minimize environmental impact while maximizing social benefit.
We believe in transparency throughout our supply chain. Follow the journey of our materials from collection to your doorstep.
Our recycled MLP comes from post-consumer waste collected through community recycling programs in ‘Pune’ city. The material undergoes thorough cleaning and processing before being transformed into our sunglasses frames.
About 12-14 ladies collectively own this scrapshop as part of the wastepicker collectives KKPKP & SWaCH Cooperative. They collect MLP or packets of chips just for us, because no one else buys it from them. We, on the other hand, pay them a premium for it.
Behind every pair of Without sunglasses is a diverse team former wastepickers / informal workers committed to sustainability and quality.
They all have employee agreements / contracts here at Without, just like any other colleague. We just add an appendix that contains a Hindi translation. Most of them can’t really read, but their kids can. They don’t have email addresses, so we give them printed copies of their monthly payslips.
And this is just the beginning of our social impact, we still have a long way to go.
Collection & Sorting
MLP waste is collected from recycling centers and sorted by type and quality. Only clean, high-quality materials are selected for our sunglasses production.
Location: Kashtachi Kamai Scrapshop, Pimpri, Pune, India
Processing & Material Production
The sorted MLP is cleaned, shredded, and processed into a homogeneous material that can be molded into our frame components.
Location: Without by Ashaya Waste Recyclers Private Limited, Pune, India
Assembly & Quality Control
The frame components are assembled with premium polarized lenses and undergo rigorous quality testing to ensure durability and performance.
Location: Without by Ashaya Waste Recyclers Private Limited, Pune, India
Our sunglasses are designed with a full lifecycle approach, ensuring that they can be properly recycled at the end of their use.
Without sunglasses are designed for easy disassembly. The lenses, frames, and hinges can be separated without specialized tools.
The recycled MLP material can be recovered and processed again, creating a circular lifecycle for our products.
Understanding the environmental impact of our products throughout their lifecycle helps us make continuous improvements.
Recycled MLP has 70% lower Carbon Footprint.
Recycling MLP, avoids fossil extraction/refining, plus added savings from local/low-energy process and EoL recyclability.
Water used is approximately 50% less for recycling MLP compared to extraction of virgin plastics.
Virgin plastics require high water for oil/gas extraction. Plus chemical production water is far lower for recycled MLP.
Energy consumption for recycling MLP and manufacturing sunglasses is 62.5% lower when compared with energy required for virgin plastics.
Recycled pellets use about 15-20 MJ/kg when compared with 80MJ/kg required for virgin plastics.
Waste Generation incase of sunglasses made from recycled MLP material is 60% less compared to ones made from Virgin plastic.
Virgin production, especially extraction from petroleum has a higher rate of waste generation compared to recycled MLP material. Plus, our material being 10x recyclable, is therefore more sustainable.
more efficient Carbon footprint through life cycle (Kg CO2eq)
less Fossil and Nuclear energy usage (MJ deprived)
less Mineral resources used (Kg deprived)
By choosing Without sunglasses, you’re actively contributing to climate change mitigation efforts.
We are truly impact-first with wastepickers at the heart of our work. We have even legally amended our MOAs to bind us to our impact.
So, when you wear these products, you’re not just wearing stuff,
You’re Wearing Change.
Wear them without any worries, as we build a world without waste.
By choosing Without sunglasses, you’re not just protecting your eyes — you’re making a statement about the kind of world you want to live in. Every pair represents a step toward a more circular economy and a more sustainable future.
