Karün turns cigarette butts into sunglasses to clean beaches
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In Chile, the B Corp Karün partnered with DIRECTEMAR, the Chilean Navy, and the Ministry of the Environment to launch a new line of sunglasses made from recycled cigarette filters.
The companies presented the collection during a beach cleanup event in Caleta Portales, in the Valparaíso Region. Cigarette butts are a major source of pollution for waterways, as a single filter can contaminate up to 50 liters of fresh water or 10 liters of seawater with chemicals and heavy metals.
Karün works with the biotechnology and environmental engineering company IMEKO to process the filters. IMEKO first collects and sorts the cigarette butts from urban areas, events, and beach cleanups. Then, they use a sustainable chemical process to remove tar, nicotine, and heavy metals, extracting pure cellulose acetate. Karün then uses this recycled acetate to create sunglass frames using injection molding, including their Pingüino line.
Founded in Puerto Varas, Chile, by Thomas Kimber, Karün already creates eyewear from recovered fishing nets, regenerated metals, and plastic taken from the ocean. Adding recycled cellulose acetate expands their ability to replace virgin plastic in sustainable fashion. Karün recently opened a new store in Viña del Mar, where they are displaying the new collection, and intends for the project to demonstrate how complex waste can be safely integrated into high-tech supply chains.
The project has already prevented the emission of 37.26 kilograms of CO2, removed almost one kilogram of toxins from the environment, and protected over 360,000 liters of water.
