Review: Pala Ethical and Sustainable Sunglasses

Gifted item.

There’s really only a few brands that I know about their efforts to tackle both ethical issues and environmental ones. Even though, in my view it all goes hand in hand. You can’t be ethical only or eco-friendly only. As much as it is a big challenge for all brands to make profit, be ethical without harming the environment – some pioneers are leading the way, showing us it’s all possible. They are real inspiration. They are on a mission. They are meaningful and they make difference. 

I was kindly sent a pair of Pala Sunglasses the other day. Pala sunglasses were born out of passion: to protect the planet, empower communities and make fashion sustainable. They don’t just preach:

• For every pair of sunglasses sold, Pala gives back to eye-care programmes in Africa by providing grants to vision centres, dispensaries and screening. They give a pair of spectacles for every pair they sell. Pala work alongside a Ghanaian-based NGO to support weaving communities to make these beautiful, woven, protective sunglasses cases.
• Their newest designs of sunglasses made of recycled acetate (made using otherwise binned factory offcuts) or bio-based designs. 
• The packaging is sustainable too: the boxes are FSC MIX certified, from responsible sources. All the print materials come from recycled paper stock.
• For every delivery Pala puts £1.00 towards offsetting the CO2 cost of that delivery. They also work with not-for-profit Atmosfair to offset their C02 through the financing of Wonderboxes in Nigeria and Rwanda. (They are similar to Wonderbags.)

As if all this wasn’t enough to fall in love with with Pala, the designs are absolute stunners! My pink tortoise shell Zuri is a true statement piece, oversized cat-eye shape made from acetate. The soft pink-brown graduated lens are so comfortable to wear! I have really sensitive eyes, and I feel especially uncomfortable when the UV levels are high. Thanks to the 100% UV protection, these sunnies are very protective.