Smith Optics announced it will eliminate plastic waste in new packaging for winter sports and eyewear products beginning in Fall 2022. This includes the removal of plastic windows on goggle boxes, poly bags and internal plastic protectors in all new packaging. In addition, all new retail boxes will now be made from recycled cardboard that folds easily for compact storage for reuse and/or disposal. The switch is expected to save 1 million polybags annually in eyewear and 1.2 million polybags annually in helmet production. Smith is also removing foam blocks and padding from its helmet boxes, which are used to protect the product during shipping, and redesigned the box with an insert that adjusts at the corners to support the helmet. The new box is designed to be robust enough to ship in its original condition, reducing the need for a second shipping container.
In addition, beginning in Winter 2022/23 and beyond, Smith is partnering with Gogglesoc to ship a Smith-branded Gogglesoc with each of the six models in the Mag goggle family, with the Survey and Survey Jr. snow helmets to protect the integrated ChromaPop™ visor, and with other select goggle collections including Smith’s Athlete Series and collabs with The North Face and Aaron Draplin. This protective solution not only eliminates significant waste in product packaging but also provides consumers with a sustainable solution to keep lenses scratch-free to extend product lifecycles. Each breathable Gogglesoc is made from recycled water bottles – one bottle makes three Gogglesoc sleeves – and can be used as both a cleaning cloth and lens protector.
In spring 2022, Smith launched its Core collection of eyewear made from recycled water bottles.
