The materials science company and sustainable fashion label PANGAIA has helped push forward eco-conscious design in essential clothing since its launch in late 2018. From sneakers made from a grape-based leather alternative to activewear that merges natural materials with textile innovation, the brand shows no sign of slowing down its exploration of creating with smart technology and sustainable and recyclable elements. PANGAIA’S latest drop is its first eyewear collection developed in partnership with carbon transformation company Twelve.

PANGAIA’s new sunglasses with Twelve are not an ordinary pair that you can find alternatives to at other brands – it is the world’s first model with CO2Made® lenses. Or as the brand refers to, it’s made “from air, not oil.” The glasses’s polycarbonate lenses are created using Twelve’s carbon transformation technology, which collects CO2 emissions and converts the pollutants into “ingredients needed to make essential products.” Twelve’s method for transforming CO2 uses water and renewable energy and mimics the natural photosynthetic process used by plants.

PANGAIA’s first-ever limited-edition sunglasses, which come in Black, Cobalt Blue, and Silver, set the CO2Made® lenses in a rimless design with a stainless steel frame for a clean and lightweight feel.

“The overall material philosophy of PANGAIA is ‘high tech naturalism’ which involves utilizing the abundance of nature, augmented by high tech processes, sustainable chemistries and processes, to expand the functionality of materials,” said PANGAIA Chief Innovation Officer Dr. Amanda Parkes in a press release. “We are thrilled to partner with Twelve to deliver polycarbonate that is derived from CO2. Our goal is not only to showcase the endless possibilities of science-based solutions, but also to promote industry-wide adoption that will help scale technologies and help rid the world of fossil-fuel based polymers and over industrialized materials.”

The eyewear accessory is also the first release under the brand’s new platform called PANGAIA Lab. Any product or collection under this umbrella will focus on new, innovative technologies that are ready to scale. “The introduction of this new platform continues the brand’s focus on identifying and supporting the most groundbreaking innovations in materials science – with the goal of promoting consumer education and industry-wide adoption that will help scale the brand’s fight against climate change,” the brand noted in a press release.

PANGAIA Lab is meant to experiment and discover breakthroughs in eco-design. The ability to transform CO2 into lenses is only the beginning. “We’re delighted to be partnering with PANGAIA, a company committed to making a deep impact through climate action, on a pioneering launch that demonstrates how brands can source carbon from emissions while continuing to make the products customers love,” said Twelve Co-Founder and CEO Nicholas Flanders in a press release. “CO2Made® means no tradeoffs.”

In addition to the launch PANGAIA Lab and its first product in partnership with Twelve, the brand has also introduced PANGAIA PRIZE, a fellowship program focused on supporting underrepresented voices in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). PANGAIA is searching for innovators, scientists, technologist, and designers for applications and an award of $50,000 USD will be granted for research, manufacturing, and development of their innovation as well as personal mentoring.

Sign up for the PANGAIA Lab x Twelve sunglasses ($495 USD) waitlist now at pangaia.com.

In other material innovation news, Microsoft created the first consumer electronic product that uses reclaimed ocean plastic.