Corporate Social Responsibility in the optical and eyewear industry

What is CSR (Corporate Social Responibility) ?

CSR is the contribution made by companies to the challenges of sustainable development. A company undertaking a CSR approach will therefore seek to respect the environment and have a positive impact on society, while remaining economically viable.

CSR is based in particular on 2 international frameworks: the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and ISO 26000, which cover subjects as diverse as waste management, relations with suppliers, governance, solidarity and philanthropy, the work/life balance of employees, etc.

The extraction of raw materials is responsible for the destruction and artificialization of natural environments (quarries for metals, cultivation for agricultural materials, deforestation for wood, etc.), and contributes to the over-exploitation of natural resources.

According to the life cycle analysis of a pair of spectacles, the raw materials used in frames account for 7% of their environmental impact. Of course, in addition to the environmental impact, the social impact must also be taken into account, particularly in the case of metals whose extraction is often relocated to countries where standards are poorly developed.

Packaging, which is essential for protecting and transporting products, represents a major challenge in terms of environmental impact. Mainly made up of plastics, paper/cardboard and metals, it consumes precious resources and generates large volumes of waste.

According to the life cycle analysis of a pair of spectacles, packaging accounts for 13% of its environmental impact. Nevertheless, it is the showcase of a product's environmental commitment in the eyes of the consumer.

The building sector is responsible for 38% of energy-related CO2 emissions worldwide , and its impact can be broken down into two phases: construction and operation.
The construction phase puts a great deal of pressure on resources (sand and water in particular): for example, it is responsible for ²/₃ of total sand consumption. It is also a source of chemical and noise pollution, and accounts for more than ¹/₃ of all waste produced in the EU.
During the operating phase, energy consumption (mainly heating, followed by electricity) and water consumption will be high.

The construction and operation of buildings (offices, factories, and points of sale) are included in the manufacturing, storage and distribution stages of the life cycle analysis of a pair of glasses , and represent a significant part of the environmental impact of the product.

The use phase of a product begins when the consumer begins to benefit from it, and ends when they choose to dispose of it. Prolonged use of a product allows the impact of the upstream stages (raw materials, manufacturing, transport, etc.) to be amortised. The end-of-life stage follows the use phase, and is the final stage in the product's life cycle. It poses major environmental challenges, such as waste treatment. Ideally, end-of-life products are reused or recycled, or incinerated or landfilled.

According to the life cycle analysis of a pair of spectacles, the use phase accounts for 19% of their environmental impact. This stage mainly involves the maintenance and cleaning of the product, which requires the consumption of water and cleaning products such as wipes.
End-of-life represents 4% of the environmental impact of a pair of glasses. The recycling rate is relatively low (need for dismantling, infrequent return of used spectacles for recycling). The sector needs to create a genuine recycling chain.

Over the last few years, employees have increasingly been looking for meaning in their work, and have growing expectations in terms of commitment to their company. In France, 31% of employees have left their previous job because they could no longer find meaning in what they were doing. Given this situation, CSR is a strong asset for retaining employees: a study shows that their involvement in corporate commitment programmes reduces turnover among recent employees (<2.5 years) by 52%.

Many in-store optical professionals decide to retrain, often after 10 to 20 years' experience. Despite the multi-faceted nature of the profession, this length of time often allows them to experience all its facets. There are a variety of reasons for these changes, often multiple, such as a disagreement between the job they are doing and their personal values (45%). These are all skills that the industry is losing and needs to re-train. Against this backdrop of mistrust among employees, who have increasingly high expectations of the company's commitment, it is key to mobilise both internal staff and new arrivals on the meaning they can find in the company. In this case, your CSR commitment, even if it's in its infancy, is an excellent way of mobilising your employees.

Community involvement is one of the seven central issues defined by the ISO 26000 standard, under the heading ‘Community and local development’. For the company, this means contributing, directly or via local public or private players, to improving the quality of life and to the economic and social development of the populations and territories affected by the company.

For the company, this commitment represents a number of benefits and constitutes a ‘creative’ part, an ‘open’ area of CSR, dealing with a multiplicity of issues, stakeholders, models and partners.

It offers the company freedom of initiative and opens the way to experimentation. It should be a showcase for the company's values and culture. It is governed by three main principles:

• Corporate citizenship is not just about philanthropy
• Companies must ensure that they address issues that are relevant to their business and expertise.
• This applies to all companies, whatever their size, turnover, activities, etc.