Our Materials
Quality materials and manufacturing are central to everything we do. Your glasses go through a lot, so we need to make sure they’re up to the job.
Making products with care
Since 2018, we actively strive to incorporate sustainable materials into our
collection, without compromising the quality standards that define Ace & Tate. We work
closely with our manufacturers, who meet our standards of social and environmental
responsibility, and we'll continue to seek innovative materials and technologies to create well-designed, quality frames.
Acetate
Most of our frames are made of acetate. Regular acetate is a mixture of cellulose acetate (wood pulp or cotton fibres, combined with acetic anhydride) and a conventional plasticiser. Acetate is strong, light, hypoallergenic, and easily repairable, not to mention endlessly colourful and customisable. Our design studio in Amsterdam makes some of our acetate designs from scratch, making them truly one-of-kind.
Acetate Renew Bio
Acetate Renew Bio is a lower-impact alternative to regular and bio acetate. The CO2 footprint of an Acetate Renew Bio frame shows a 9% reduction* compared to a bio acetate frame. Like regular acetate, Acetate Renew Bio is made from FSC-certified wood pulp (42%), but is combined with certified recycled contents** (28%) instead of acetic anhydride. We then combine the cellulose acetate flakes with bio-based plasticisers (30%) to create the final acetate material.
*Source: Ace & Tate 2024 LCA, using primary data from Eastman
**ISCC-certified recycled contents, obtained via mass balance
Metal
Our collections also feature metal frames — cut from stainless steel or titanium. These materials are very durable and feel incredibly light. Stainless steel frames feature a slim profile and are lighter than acetate frames. Titanium frames are even lighter and more flexible, making them resistant to breakage.
Packaging
Our shipping box has been reduced to the smallest size possible, and is made from 30% virgin grass fibres and 70 % recycled, FSC-certified paper.
Lenses
Our prescription lenses are made from CR-39, a strong polycarbonate material. They have been treated with anti-reflective and scratch-resistant coatings to ensure strength, clarity and comfort. The majority of our (non-prescription) sunlenses are now made of Tritan Renew, which consists of *50% recycled materials.
* ISCC-certified recycled contents, obtained via mass balance
