By Jean-François Venne

Ophthalmic lens production has long presented environmental challenges for optical laboratories. Many are now working to reduce their ecological footprint through innovative equipment and processes.

In general, environmental challenges for optical labs fall into three main areas: water consumption, energy use, and material waste. Patrick Brown, director of Riverside Opticalab in Ottawa, has observed some improvements in recent years.

According to him, water consumption has dropped significantly due to advances in equipment. “Most systems now circulate water in a closed loop, and some, such as the MEI Systems equipment we use to cut lenses to frame dimensions, no longer use water at all.”

However, electricity remains a major challenge. Equipment has always been energy-intensive, and increasing automation on production lines further raises consumption. “The more we automate our production, the harder it becomes to reduce energy use,” he says. Newer machines may require more power, but they also work faster, meaning they operate for a shorter period of time to produce each lens.

The environmental impact of energy use depends heavily on the electricity source. In 2024, nearly half the electricity supplied to Ontario consumers by Hydro One came from nuclear power, and roughly a quarter from hydroelectricity. Natural gas and oil generated 16.6% of electricity, while renewables accounted for 11.6%. In Quebec and British Columbia, electricity comes almost entirely from hydroelectric and renewable sources.

Some measures can still help. Riverside Opticalab has replaced its halogen bulbs with LED lighting and is now studying the possibility of modernizing the building’s ventilation system, which could further reduce energy consumption.

Reducing Environmental Impact at FYidoctors

At FYidoctors, the largest eye care provider in Canada, several initiatives have been implemented over the past five years to improve the environmental footprint of its ophthalmic laboratory in Delta, British Columbia.

“We enjoy two advantages in British Columbia,” notes Nancy Morison, vice president of the laboratory. “Our electricity comes from renewable sources, mainly hydroelectricity, and we are located in a rainforest, so we have plenty of water.” She adds, however, that the company must still carefully manage its water use to avoid waste.

Nancy Morison is pleased that the laboratory’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have declined even as company revenues and production volumes have increased. Emissions dropped from 89 tonnes in 2023 to 77 tonnes in 2025. To achieve this, the company replaced all lighting in its more than 6,000-square-metre facility with LED bulbs. It also upgraded production equipment to newer models, which are more energy-efficient and use less water.

Other initiatives are less obvious but equally significant. “In 2023, we found a company that agreed to collect the gloves we use and recycle them,” explains Nancy Morison. “This has enabled us to recycle 4,500 kilograms of gloves that would otherwise have ended up in landfills.” The company has also replaced bubble wrap with reusable neoprene packaging for every pair of eyeglasses shipped between the laboratory and its clinics.

In 2026, FYidoctors will update its filtration system that removes plastic from the water used in surfacing. The new equipment will allow the lab to collect the equivalent of a full garbage bag of plastic waste and compress it into a small brick. At the same time, water trapped in the plastic will be expelled and recycled. “We really want to achieve 100% recycling of the water we use,” concludes Nancy Morison. “We are currently at 98%.” She adds, “We’re proud to offer our clinics and patients products that they know come from a lab with sustainability as one of our goals.”

Innovative Processes at New Look

At the New Look Vision Group laboratory in Montreal, surfacing, tinting, edging and frame fitting are performed on lenses. “During these steps, material loss is the biggest challenge,” says Sébastien Chailley, senior vice president, operations and technologies. Production begins with a plastic block roughly the size and shape of a hockey puck weighing about 150 grams (called a semi-finished lens). The final result: two lenses weighing about 20 grams each. In other words, three-quarters of the plastic is lost in the process.

To reduce this waste, New Look Vision Group uses various semi-finished sizes, always selecting the smallest possible based on the prescription. On average, this cuts material loss in half.

Surfacing equipment also consumes large amounts of water to cool machinery and flush away cutting residue. For just under a year, the lab has used a new MEI Systems machine, the Core-TBA, which performs dry machining. “About 12% of our production is currently done using this equipment, which uses virtually no water,” explains Sébastien Chailley. “In 2026, we expect to acquire two additional machines that will allow us to exceed 35% dry production.”

During machining, the “hockey puck” must be blocked in place. Typically, this is done with a lead-based metal alloy that melts at around 55°C. Although reused, a small amount is lost each time. These residues are difficult to recover and may enter wastewater, and lead is highly polluting. The Core-TBA uses vacuum blocking technology, eliminating the need for the metal alloy. It also removes the need for a protective plastic film on the front surface of the lens during surfacing.

Besides environmental benefits, the process lowers production costs. “It also affects our energy consumption,” adds the vice president. “We estimate that by fully switching to vacuum blocking, we will save about 400 litres of water per day and use three times less electricity.”

New Look Vision Group plans to go further. Around early April 2026, the lab is expected to receive a U.S.-made Fusion-M machine from Quantum, which allows a mirror-type anti-reflective coating to be applied directly to the semi-finished lens. Currently, the company must order multiple semi-finished types with different coatings and eventually discard unused ones when they are not purchased. Producing them in-house will better match actual needs and reduce waste.

Want to see more articles like this? Click here to subscribe to our FREE print magazine and newsletters!