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Spotted: In America alone, over 1.6 billion pairs of sunglasses are lost every year. With most losses taking place at the beach, sunglasses contribute to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic that end up in the ocean each year. Because we can’t help losing our sunglasses, the Ukrainian company Ochis Coffee has developed a pair of sunglasses that are 100 per cent biodegradable.

Instead of plastic, the frame is made from natural coffee grounds and flax, which bind together to create a natural biopolymer. The company says this allows the frame to decompose 100 times faster than ordinary plastic glasses. The glasses are fully biodegradable after 10 years in soil or water, serving as a fertiliser for plants. 

Max Havrylenko told Springwise “There is plenty of coffee waste all around the world. That’s why we chose it as a raw material. Worldwide people drink 2.5 mln cups of coffee daily. You’ll agree that is huge amount of free eco stuff.”

The lenses are also recyclable and made from recycled cotton. These provide UV protection thanks to a filter that changes shading according to the surrounding levels of light. A hydrophobic coating makes the lenses repellent to water and dirt, so that greasy fingerprints are no longer a concern. The glasses also have an anti-reflective coating to block blue light when working in front of a computer. 

The new glasses come in two different models and cost about €70.