Blog, News & Offers

New Kids and Teen range now in stock

Posted on Monday, August 14, 2023

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Our new ranges for Kids and teens are now in stock, We have our biggest range ever with frames starting from free on NHS voucher. We also have designers from Rayban, Emporio Armani, Polo Ralph Lauren and Oakley in all our practices.

Under 16's are entitled to free sight tests and a voucher to either cover the cost of Spectacles or help towards them. Those under 18 but still in full time education are also entitled to the same level of help for sight tests and spectacles.

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Seeing Green: A Vision for Sustainability at Colin Lee and Jenks Opticians

Posted on Monday, August 14, 2023

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Seeing Green: A Vision for Sustainability at Colin Lee and Jenks Opticians

In a world where environmental concerns are more pressing than ever, businesses of all kinds are seeking ways to reduce their ecological footprint and contribute to a more sustainable future. Even seemingly small and specialized businesses like an opticians can play a significant role by making changes to their supply and practices to promote environmental responsibility.
By embracing eco-friendly practices and adopting a "green" approach to our operations, we can help make a positive impact on the planet. In this blog post, we'll explore what measures we have taken as well as our suppliers to help make a difference.

1. Eco-Friendly Eyewear Selection: One of the first steps we took was by curating an eco-friendly selection of eyewear.
Many eyewear brands are now offering frames made from sustainable materials such as recycled plastics, bamboo, and even biodegradable materials. Others have changed the oils used in producing acetate (a commonly used material in frame manufacturing) to those with significant less environmental impact.
By partnering with these brands, independent opticians can offer customers stylish and environmentally conscious eyewear options. We are proud to stock brands such and Sea2see and Coral which manufacture frames from recycled plastics sourced from the ocean. To read more about Coral eyewear click the following link https://www.coraleyewear.com/pages/our-story-1

2. Energy Efficiency and Green Infrastructure: Implementing energy-efficient practices in our practices is another way to promote sustainability.
We are in the process of updating our lighting to energy efficient LED panels as well as LED bulbs in sight testing equipment.

3. Reduced Packaging Waste: Excessive packaging is a common issue in the retail industry, including eyewear. We have addressed this concern by working with suppliers who use minimal and recyclable packaging. We also encourage customers to bring their own eyewear cases or offer biodegradable case options, reducing the reliance on single-use materials.

4. Recycling Programs and Lens Disposal: Many people are unaware that eyeglass lenses and frames can be recycled. Unfortunately charities such as vision aid overseas stopped accepting used spectacles to send to those in need due to covid. They have not yet resumed this practice but some local organisations like the lions will accept simple lenses like single vision or bifocals to pass on within their areas.
We have set up recycling programs in our stores to collect contact lenses and their packaging, partnering with Teracycle an organizations that specialize in repurposing these materials. Proper disposal of lenses and frames can significantly contribute to waste reduction that would otherwise be left to landfill where it wouldn’t decompose.

5. Digital Records and Minimal Paper Usage: Over the past few years we have been transitioning from paper-based record-keeping to digital systems, significantly reducing our paper usage and storage needs. Additionally, we can encourage patients to opt for digital receipts and communication, minimizing paper waste further.

6. Sustainable Lens Options: When recommending contact lenses to customers, we can now offer a unique produce with minimal plastic packaging making a months supply look like a weeks.
Quality spectacle lenses are built to last and we can offer sustainability through lenses that prioritize durability and reduce the need for frequent replacement. Anti-reflective coatings and scratch-resistant treatments can prolong the life of lenses, leading to less waste over time. Not all of these coatings are alike. We only use suppliers whose products offer quality that will last and often has a warranty to go with that claim. Cheaper lenses can mean more replacements which are a false economy and create more plastic waste and manufacturing waste product.
Essilor our main lens supplier have recently spent millions of pounds updating their manufacturing facility to drastically reduce the amount of water (used in lens production and cutting) and therefore reduce their carbon footprint. Furthermore the waste product from cutting spectacle lenses is reused in other sectors such as the production of car headlight covers.

7. Reuse and repair: We are happy to reuse (reglaze) existing spectacle frames with new lenses. By offering quality frames in practice they are built, when well looked after, to last so reusing an existing frame is fine by us. Furthermore we also offer a repair service to further prolong the life of a damaged frame.

8. Lens spray refill: By purchasing a frame with us we will give you a lens spray bottle that we will refill for free throughout the life of our specs. Another way to reduce plastic manufacturing and waste.

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