Recycling is not a new buzzword. Every day we interact with objects, surfaces and products that make use of repurposed materials – like traffic bollards, playground surfaces and conveyor belts.
However, those items are inherently utilitarian.
The notion of using recycled plastics to make sunglasses presents an entirely different challenge. Not only is it practically challenging, it also means entering a market where people typically ask one fundamental question. “Do these sunnies look cool?
So why did northern beaches couple, Nik Robinson and his wife Jocelyne take on the challenge to make sunglasses out of 100% recycled plastic? The seed for Good Citizens was planted when their young sons, Archie and Harry, expressed major concerns about the growing build up of plastic waste. Nik and Jocelyne immediately felt obligated to become part of the solution. Although he’d studied design, Nik had run his own advertising agency and worked as a DJ on leading radio station, Triple M Sydney, while Jocelyne had a background in PR. However, in 2018 they channelled their skills and creative energy into converting plastic materials into the kind of svelte eyewear people from all walks of life would be happy to wrap around their eyes.
The Good Citizens website states that it took over two years and 2500 failed attempts (not to mention major financial heartache) before they could manufacture a product that was 100% recycled and aesthetically desirable. Nik admits that failing so many times was hard, but indicates that it was the accountability he felt to his kids that made him persevere. “So the biggest challenge is staying true to using 100% recycled plastic. We had people saying if you could just put 10% regular plastic in, then all these problems will go away. And I can’t tell you how tempting that is, when you’re haemorrhaging cash and haemorrhaging hours, and all your mates are getting bonuses in their fancy jobs, and you’re going backwards as a family financially.”
Getting the product right meant bringing together recycling partners, polymer experts, tool makers, polarised lens developers, machinists and of course a designer – a hat worn by Nik. In essence they figured out a way to take a single 600ml plastic bottle (minus the cap) and convert it into a pair of high-quality sunglasses. It’s a neat equation that also lends itself to a potent marketing slogan. As Nik told Forbes magazine in an interview, “We thought that ‘one bottle makes one pair’ would be a really powerful message, so not only would we be chipping away at the plastic waste, but also encouraging people to think twice about buying a plastic bottle in the first place.”
In the midst of COVID Good Citizens Eyewear was born. While the development phase was rigorous, once they’d come up with a market-ready product the interest was almost instantaneous. Before the Australian designed and manufactured sunglasses were in full production they’d captured the attention of fabled London Department store, Selfridges (sometimes called the best department store in the world) who featured Good Citizens sunglasses in their coveted window display alongside high-end fashion label Prada. For Good Citizens it was both an acknowledgement of their recycled cred’ and a highly visible thumbs up for style. “What we’re just trying to say is, if you’re going to buy a pair of sunnies, or reading glasses, or prescription glasses,” explains Nik. “Is that there’s someone who gives a shit. And they haven’t had to kind of give up on the style aspects.”
Nik points out that a key element of the Good Citizens business model is the fact the frames and arms of the sunglasses are all recycled plastic. This mono-material approach means they are really easy to recycle again. Good Citizens even covers the cost of postage if customers return their sunglasses when they reach their end-life phase. By way of comparison, other sunglass brands typically combine metal, rubber and plastic, which means they have to be broken up into their individual elements to be recycled – given the tediousness nature of such a task most of them end up as landfill.
Another fun feature of the Good Citizens sunglasses is the interchangeable or universal arms and hinges. Like pieces of lego they can readily be swapped in and out, depending on what colour or style you prefer on any give day. It’s a feature that has proved incredibly popular with existing customers. “We have customers with twenty different pairs that they swap out an change the colours of the arms and hinges depending on the day,” explains Nick.
Good Citizens’ ability to marry style with sustainability hasn’t gone unnoticed by other brands. Several companies interested in figuring out how they can recycle their own products have reached out to Nik and his team for help. Their expertise in problem solving with plastics means Good Citizens are now consultants as well as operators.
Given his understanding of how the process works from end to end, Nik also now lectures at numerous universities and colleges around the country on how to design recycled products. Meanwhile, he’s still excitedly exploring other materials that can potentially be recycled to manufacture his own goods. “ I’ve got testers walking around in sunglasses made from strawberry containers, milk crates and TV remotes,” explains Nik, who advocates thinking outside the box for solutions.
While Nik may be at the helm of Good Citizens, he’s quick to point out that his sons, Harry and Archie (now 12 and 11), still play an integral part in charting the course of the business. “We don’t make any decision unless they’re part of it,” he explains. “We’re just basically about to launch four colours. So we sit down and discuss what four colours.” Along the way, the boys have developed an aptitude for running a recycling business that goes well beyond their years. “Harry now works out our cost per goods,” says Nik with a measure of paternal pride. “If carbon goes up, plastic collection goes up, he goes in and works it out and changes the back end.”
Ultimately, Nik explains, running Good Citizens, consulting, lecturing and continuing his research into other recyclable products falls under a singular philosophical goal. “It all comes back to that one purpose, which is un-trash the planet.” While Nik has plans for expanding and refining Good Citizens, he also hopes that his family-grown business will inspire other companies to place a high value on all recycled and sustainable products. “We wanted to show that if normal people can do something then why can’t everyone else have a crack at this?” As for the question of what’s cool and what’s not when it comes to sunglasses he sums it with a succinct phrase. “The fact you can walk around every day with a pair on the end of your nose and feel you’re part of the solution. That’s cool.”
