ORIGEM is a Portuguese sustainable eyewear brand that aims to promote bamboo as a substitute for plastic, raise awareness of the importance of individual responsibility when it comes to the environment, and change consumption habits from fast to fair fashion. Founded in 2017, ORIGEM already has thousands of satisfied customers who have found in these sustainable glasses a statement that small actions make a difference and that the planet is everyone’s problem.
Bamboo – the fastest-growing plant on the planet – offers enormous potential to replace plastic as a self-sustaining crop due to its level of resistance, malleability, and capacity for renewal.
“We are a Portuguese project to promote bamboo as a sustainable, fair, and affordable alternative to plastic in the eyewear industry”, explain those responsibly. They add: “In an industry dominated by large multinational plastic companies, ORIGEM stands out for creating high-quality handmade optical products that aim to create a positive social and environmental impact with every sale.”
In fact, for every purchase of ORIGEM glasses, three trees are planted in reforestation projects around the world.
The Origins of ORIGEM
ORIGEM’s journey began in 2016 during a trip to Brazil, where Pedro, one of the co-founders, learned more about bamboo and its use in clothing, accessories, and even housing. The plant’s rapid growth and its potential to be used in a wide variety of products caught his attention. After a year of research, the ORIGEM brand was founded by André Barbosa, Guilherme Vasques, and Pedro Romão, who shared the vision of building a for-profit project to replace plastic in the eyewear industry.
