Daily disposable contact lens helps consumers do better for their vision and the environment
SAN RAMON, Calif., July 14, 2021—In pursuit of doing more for contact lens wearers and the environment, CooperVision has teamed up with Plastic Bank®, a social enterprise, to transform the clariti® 1 day lens family into the first net plastic neutral contact lens1 in the U.S. The collaboration leverages CooperVision’s innovations in ocular technology alongside Plastic Bank’s proven experience in recycling practices to bring contact lens wearers the ocular benefits of a silicone hydrogel 1-day lens2 with long lasting environmental and social benefits.
“As a sustainably manufactured, net plastic neutral contact lens, we are proud to say that the clariti® 1 day lens puts health first – eye health3 and the health of the environment4,” said Melissa Kiewe, Vice President of Marketing, Americas, CooperVision. “We are empowering contact lens wearers so that they can enjoy the convenience of a 1-day lens and make a positive impact on the one world we all share.”
This small change has a major impact. For every box of clariti® 1 day distributed in the United States since January 2021, CooperVision purchases credits from Plastic Bank for the collection, processing, and reuse of general plastic waste equivalent to the weight of the plastic contained in clariti® 1 day lenses including the lens itself, the blister, adhesive, packaging laminates and even the plastics in the ink printed on the boxes1.
Plastic Bank is helping the world stop ocean plastic while improving the lives of collector communities. The company builds ethical recycling ecosystems in under-developed coastal communities. Collectors in Plastic Bank’s ecosystems gather ocean-bound plastic waste in exchange for premiums that provide access to basic necessities such as groceries, clean water, school tuition, and even health insurance. In return, Plastic Bank reprocesses the materials collected for reintroduction into the global supply chain.
From reducing ocean-bound plastic waste to contributing to the well-being of people in coastal communities, the clariti® 1 day sphere, toric, multifocal contact lenses balance eye health needs like comfort, convenience and visual acuity, alongside the desire to “do good” in the world. The partnership was created to help meet the needs of sustainability-minded consumers, a growing category in the U.S. market.
The entire clariti® 1 day portfolio is made from silicone hydrogel — the healthiest soft contact lens material available for daily use.4 In addition, clariti® 1 day lenses provide up to three times the oxygen transmissibility of some conventional hydrogel daily disposable lenses at the same price5. The lens’ oxygen consumption helps contact lens wearers to experience whiter, brighter eyes,6 and its high water content combined with WetLoc™ Technology supports good all-day comfort7.
Even better, clariti® 1 day lenses are sustainably manufactured at a state-of-the-art, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver-certified facility in Costa Rica, where notably, the facility’s electricity comes from renewable sources, the main transformer is powered by vegetable oil, and the plant uses natural rainwater in its climate control systems, among other areas.
“It’s not surprising that sustainably-based values are increasingly impacting purchasing decisions—and rightfully so. While plastic packaging is critical in the safe delivery of our products, how that plastic is managed is just as important,” added Kiewe. “With clariti® 1 day, you can have a healthy daily lens-wearing experience while helping the planet. Together we are doing one day better.”
For more information about clariti® 1 day, please visit www.CooperVision.com/plastic-neutrality
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About Plastic Bank®
Plastic Bank® empowers the regenerative society. The social enterprise helps the world stop ocean plastic while improving the lives of collector communities. Plastic Bank builds ethical recycling ecosystems in coastal communities and reprocesses the materials for reintroduction into the global manufacturing supply chain. Collectors receive a premium for the materials they collect which helps them provide basic family necessities such as groceries, cooking fuel, school tuition, and health insurance. Plastic Bank’s Alchemy™ blockchain platform secures the entire transaction and provides real-time data visualization – allowing for transparency, traceability, and rapid scalability. The collected material is reborn as Social Plastic® which can be easily reintegrated into products and packaging as part of a closed-loop supply chain. Plastic Bank currently operates in Haiti, Brazil, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Egypt. Learn more at plasticbank.com.
About CooperVision
CooperVision, a division of CooperCompanies (NYSE:COO), is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of contact lenses. The company produces a full array of daily disposable, two-week and monthly soft contact lenses that feature advanced materials and optics, and premium rigid gas permeable lenses for orthokeratology and scleral designs. CooperVision has a strong heritage of addressing the toughest vision challenges such as astigmatism, presbyopia, childhood myopia, and highly irregular corneas; and offers the most complete portfolio of spherical, toric and multifocal products available. Through a combination of innovative products and focused practitioner support, the company brings a refreshing perspective to the marketplace, creating real advantages for customers and wearers. For more information, visit www.coopervision.com.
About CooperCompanies
CooperCompanies ("Cooper") is a global medical device company publicly traded on the NYSE (NYSE:COO). Cooper operates through two business units, CooperVision and CooperSurgical. CooperVision brings a refreshing perspective on vision care with a commitment to developing a wide range of high-quality products for contact lens wearers and providing focused practitioner support. CooperSurgical is committed to advancing the health of women, babies and families with its diversified portfolio of products and services focusing on medical devices and fertility & genomics. Headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., Cooper has a workforce of more than 12,000 with products sold in over 100 countries. For more information, please visit www.coopercos.com.
Media Contact
Jenny LePore
Public Relations Director, The Martin Group
585-869-1884
jlepore@martingroupmarketing.com
1. CVI data on file 2020. Sustainability report, clariti® 1 day in US. Based on top 4 global contact lens manufacturers.
2. With higher oxygen delivery than hydrogel materials, SiHy materials minimize or eliminate hypoxia-related complications during daily wear.
3. With higher oxygen delivery than hydrogel materials, SiHy materials minimize or eliminate hypoxia-related complications during daily wear.
4. CVI data on file 2021. clariti 1 day CL considerers sustainability research survey 205 US consumers aged 16-35 years, Decision Analyst, April 2021. 87% of all contact lens considerers agree following exposure to net plastic neutrality description.
5. Based on manufacturers published data. clariti 1 day has Dk/t of 86. Compared to Proclear 1 day (Dk/t 28), 1-day Acuvue Moist (Dk/t 25.5), Dailies Aquacomfort Plus (Dk/t 26) and Biotrue ONEday (Dk/t 42).
6. Brennan NA. Beyond Flux: Total Corneal Oxygen Consumption as an Index of Corneal Oxygenation During Contact Lens Wear. Optom Vis Sci. 2005;82(6):467-472.
7. CooperVision data on file, 2019. clariti® 1 day Wearer Experience Survey conducted online in U.S., n=298: sphere, toric or multifocal; habitual FRP, DD, and new wearers who purchased clariti® 1 day; strongly or somewhat agree.