Biodegradable you say? 

Bored∙george sunglasses are manufactured using a material called M49 Acetate, this is the product I am about to highlight and make you fall in love with. 

M49 Acetate is a plastic, but not in the way you imagine. What if I told you M49 is composed from materials such as tree pulp and cotton, and a plasticer that is of vegetable origin... Hard to believe right? What if I told you that this material is then biodegradable... Again... Would you believe me? 

This is the world we are living in now, where sustainability is at the forefront of conversation and thankfully action. Mazzucchelli, the brains behind the product, (Milan, Italy) were ahead of their times when creating M49, as they anticipated a shift in the way people purchase. Throughout my research when choosing my manufacturers, Muzzucchelli’s innovation and eco/sustainability mindset is what set them apart from the rest, and now are a massive part of bored∙george. 

Biodegradable? Hell yes! ‘According to the International Organization for Standardization, the term biodegradable is used to define any material that can be broken down by the enzymatic activity of microorganisms, sunlight and other environmental physical agents, into simple chemical compounds such as water, carbon dioxide and methane. Biodegradation is influenced by the chemical nature of the material to be biodegraded and by the biodegradation environment. In order to define a plastic material as biodegradable, the degree of biodegradation must reach 90% in an incubation time of no more than 6 months (Mazzucchelli).’

“The degree of biodegradation of M49 exceeds 90% already after 115 days of incubation and is therefore biodegradable (according to the UNI-EN-ISO 14855-2: 2018 standard)” Mazzucchelli

To be able to use this product to create my sunglasses is beyond exciting. As most companies do, we will always have things to work on to better our product in the way of sustainability, but this will come with time. For now, I am happy with the direction bored∙george is heading and staying on top of our sustainability efforts will always be a priority.