Ace and Tate launches recycled programme on Depop

Dutch eyewear brand Ace and Tate is launching the first circular eyewear programme, Reframe, on Depop.

The move it states makes them the first eyewear brand to sell on the resale platform and will allow it to extend the life of its frames by offering a “carefully curated collection” of pre-owned frames and discontinued stock.

All Ace and Tate products available on Depop will be refurbished to look as “good as new”. The scheme will allow customers to recycle their frames for a gift code, and in turn, these frames will be “tuned up” to be resold to a new customer.

Ace and Tate said in a statement that the move was part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability and transparency, freely admitting that “making glasses is not great for the environment,” but also adding that it is learning and taking action towards reducing its footprint.

The eyewear industry is a 120 billion US dollar market in which plastic is the main source of raw material and sustainability is almost non-existent, according to research from Circular Design Europe. Reframe, Ace and Tate added is a “resourceful way” to extend the life of its frames by using old stock, and allowing customers to give a second life to old frames they no longer wear.

Ace and Tate turns to Depop to launch circular eyewear programme

Following a recent round of funding in June, the Dutch company adds that it is continuing to invest in a unified commerce model for its consumers, with the aim to making eyecare and eyewear a fun and easy process.

By launching this recycled initiative on Depop, it states that it is moving away from the antiquated processes of the past, as well as “meeting its consumers where they shop” as they are targeting Gen-Z and millennials.

With 18 million users, of which 90 percent are under the age of 26, Depop provides the perfect platform to resell recycled eyewear. A majority of younger generations - 59 percent of Gen Z and 57 percent of millennials are buying upcycled products, according to research from First Insight, Inc.

Reframe By Ace and Tate currently have several refurbished non-prescription sunglasses on its Depop shop page, available to UK and EU customers for 58 pounds. All Reframe styles come with a refurbished Ace and Tate case and a polishing cloth.

Images: courtesy of Ace and Tate