Wires - the startup changing how eyewear is made and worn

by Startacus Admin
Wires is an innovative London-based startup that's on a mission to bring sustainability to the eyewear industry
In the UK alone, 74% of people wear corrective lenses, be these contact lenses or glasses. Billions of glasses are made every year, and millions are thrown away every year. The most common material for making glasses is plastic, a product of the oil industry, which is the biggest polluter in the world.
If you’re unclear how much glasses could contribute to that, plastic-framed glasses are often cut from a block of plastic, with up to 80% of the plastic being discarded and contributing to the microplastics in the ocean already killing ocean life. It might not be controversial, then, to say that perhaps we need a change.
London-based eyewear startup Wires thinks the same, and is on a mission to solve this issue. They are doing this in a number of ways with their Forever Wires line of optical glasses and sunglasses.
Firstly is the modular nature, meaning that the lenses snap onto the frame and can be thrown away when scratched or cracked, and can be swapped out for different lenses as the need arises, saving on multiple pairs of glasses. One wire frame, many glasses. Next is what makes throwing away those lenses less damaging than it might sound: sustainable bio-nylon. This is sourced from the oil of castor beans, while the temple tips are made from natural rubber from rapeseed oil, both removing reliance on the petroleum-based plastics normally used. The lenses themselves are also made from an ‘ecological resin’ partially made with those castor beans. Lastly, instead of cutting the rims from blocks of plastic, they are 3D printed with zero waste.
In June, Wires launched a Kickstarter to get their Forever Wires line to the next level and truly bring sustainability to the eyewear industry. They finished this campaign in July with just over their £20,000 goal. Rewards go out in Spring, and we look forward to seeing where the startup goes from here.
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Sodexo Live! and L Marks open call for applications from innovative startups and scaleups to join their inaugural North America Innovation Lab.

Startups founded by students and recent graduates from the University of Edinburgh secure SMART:SCOTLAND grants to help support their ambitious and innovative projects.

Lydia Kothmeier, VP of Operations at Storyblok shares insights on the processes and policies that every startup should have in place in order to make remote working work.

The lowdown on HoloToyz, the Irish startup and its products for kids that can come to life through the power of augmented reality.

Inbound Investors 2022 providing NI businesses with the opportunity to pitch directly to leading UK investors over the course of one day.

Enterprise CMS Storyblok launches Storyblok V2 in a bid to further empower teams to create and scale standout audience experiences.

The lowdown on Nothing, the London-based startup that's creating innovative connected products "to make tech fun again."

The lowdown on Athos, the Spanish startup that has created a customized climbing shoe that's been made with 3D printing technology.

Edinburgh-based startup Swurf connects remote workers with welcoming spaces to work in since "you don’t need an office to do your best work!"

Kickstart catapults innovation with 43 high growth startups selected for the 2022 core program from 16 countries this year, including two from the UK.
Published on: 5th August 2021
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.







- Sodexo Live! And L Marks Seeking Startups and Scaleups for first ever North America Innovation Lab 5th Aug 2022 Sodexo Live! and L Marks open call for applications from innovative startups and scaleups to join their inaugural North America Innovation Lab.
- Innovative University-supported startups secure £500,000 in grant funding awards 4th Aug 2022 Startups founded by students and recent graduates from the University of Edinburgh secure SMART:SCOTLAND grants to help support their ambitious and innovative projects.
- Registrations Open for Inbound Investors 2022 2nd Aug 2022 Inbound Investors 2022 providing NI businesses with the opportunity to pitch directly to leading UK investors over the course of one day.
- Storyblok Launches New CMS Experience to Shape the Future of Digital Storytelling 1st Aug 2022 Enterprise CMS Storyblok launches Storyblok V2 in a bid to further empower teams to create and scale standout audience experiences.