Company Partners with Plastic Bank® to Launch Innovative Initiative
SAN RAMON, Calif., March 15, 2021—To provide an easy way for eye care professionals and their patients to be more sustainable—and expand the company’s commitment to making a positive impact on the environment—CooperVision announced today a breakthrough partnership with Plastic Bank® that makes its clariti® 1 day family the first net plastic neutral contact lenses.1
Plastic Bank is a social enterprise building ethical recycling ecosystems in coastal communities, that reprocesses the materials for reintroduction into the global 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. For every box of clariti® 1 day distributed in the United States, CooperVision funds the collection, processing, and reuse of general plastic waste that is equal to the weight of the plastic contained in clariti® 1 day lenses and packaging.2
“Our dedication to the good of the planet has become central to how CooperVision operates. We have a strong record of sustainable manufacturing and operations, focused on areas in which we can make the greatest impact,” said Melissa Kiewe, Vice President of Marketing, Americas, CooperVision. “Plastic plays a critical role in the hygienic delivery and sterile protection of our contact lenses, and how that plastic is managed is important to us. The commitment to making clariti® 1 day net plastic neutral1 is the next step in CooperVision’s sustainability journey—and provides a unique opportunity for eye care professionals to offer even more value to their patients.”3
“Plastic Bank works with like-minded and sustainability driven partners to stop ocean plastic and improve lives,” said David Katz, Founder and CEO at Plastic Bank. “Together with CooperVision, we’re offering the eye care industry the opportunity to make lasting environmental, social and economic impact.”
Research shows that U.S. consumers are paying more attention to the sustainability practices of the companies with which they choose to do business. A 2020 survey4 by The Recycling Partnership revealed that 70% of Americans would go out of their way to support a company that makes strong efforts to be sustainable. Sustainability is likewise becoming a higher priority, as 78% of consumers are more conscious of supporting green/sustainable companies versus five years ago.
A recent survey commissioned by CooperVision revealed that 93% of U.S. eye care professionals agree that keeping plastic out of the oceans is important to them,3 and 84% agree that manufacturers need to take responsibility for the waste they create.4
“Our practice takes many small measures to be as sustainable as possible, as it’s important to my staff, my patients, and me. The clariti® 1 day family have always been my go-to lenses in my practice due to the ocular health benefits5 and the clear, crisp, comfortable vision they provide to my patients,” said Jennifer Stewart, OD, of Norwalk Eye Care in Norwalk, Conn. “The 1-day modality is the healthiest way for my patients to wear soft contact lenses, and now this net plastic neutral initiative is a great way to assure them that by choosing clariti® 1 day, we’re able to make an impact for the planet.”
CooperVision’s full family of clariti® 1 day lenses—including clariti® 1 day sphere, toric, and multifocal—enable eye care professionals to fit more of their patients in silicone hydrogel 1-day lenses.6 clariti® 1 day lenses have a high oxygen transmissibility (up to 3x the Dk/t of some hydrogel 1-day toric lenses7), allowing for 100 percent corneal oxygen consumption8 which helps maintain ocular health. In addition, the lenses’ high water content supports excellent all-day comfort.9 Through innovations in manufacturing, CooperVision is able to offer clariti® 1 day at a price comparable to hydrogel contact lenses.10
“clariti® 1 day is CooperVision’s most prescribed 1-day contact lens. It already delivers high performance and incredible everyday value,11 but it now offers the opportunity for a better future—for our planet and the people who live on it,” said Kiewe. “By simply fitting and wearing clariti® 1 day, it’s easy for ECPs and their patients to make a difference—together.”
For more information about CooperVision clariti® 1 day and its net plastic neutral initiative, visit www.one-day-better.com.
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1. clariti® 1 day is defined as orders and includes clariti® 1 day sphere, clariti® 1 day toric, and clariti® 1 day multifocal product sold & distributed by CooperVision in the US. Net plastic neutrality is established by purchasing credits from Plastic Bank. A credit represents the collection and conversion of one kilogram of plastic that may reach or be destined for waterways. CooperVision purchases credits equal to the weight of plastic in clariti® 1 day orders in a specified time period. clariti® 1 day plastic is determined by the weight of plastic in the blister, the lens, and the secondary package, including laminates, adhesives, and auxiliary inputs (e.g. ink). CVI data on file 2020. Sustainability report, clariti® 1 day in US. Based on top 4 global contact lens manufacturers.
2. Amount is defined as weight. Net plastic neutrality is established by purchasing credits from Plastic Bank. A credit represents the collection and conversion of one kilogram of plastic that may reach or be destined for waterways. CooperVision purchases credits equal to the weight of plastic in clariti® 1 day orders in a specified time period. clariti® 1 day plastic is determined by the weight of plastic in the blister, the lens, and the secondary package, including laminates, adhesives, and auxiliary inputs (e.g. ink). CVI data on file 2020. Sustainability report, clariti® 1 day in US.
3.CVI data on file 2020. Decision Analyst online survey with 1-day soft contact lens wearers in the U.S., n=304. Top 3 box on 7 point scale.
4. The Recycling Partnership 2020. https://recyclingpartnership.org/americas-prefer-sustainable-companies/
5.With higher oxygen permeability than hydrogel materials, silicone hydrogel contact lenses minimize or eliminate hypoxia-related signs and symptoms during lens wear.
6.CVI data on file 2021; Rx coverage database n=203,946 eyes; 14 to 41 years for clariti® 1 day sphere and clariti® 1 day toric; 42 to 70 years for clariti® 1 day multifocal. Combined 82.2% coverage.
7. 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).
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Based on 166 participating eye care professionals in a multi-national online survey, 2016.
11. CVI data on file 2020. prospective, double masked, bilateral, randomized cross-over dispensing 1-week study, with clariti® 1 day and 1-DAY ACUVUE® MOIST in FRP SiHy wearers. N=55; p<0.01
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 certified 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
Heather Kowalczyk, APR
McDougall Communications for CooperVision, Inc.
heather@mcdougallpr.com or 585-434-2148