Aura - Celion® SUN

The FUNK PHOENIX Project stands for the radical transformation of waste into aesthetics.

• At its heart is Celion®, a material developed in collaboration with IMEKO Chile, which is derived from recycled cigarette filters.
  
• We close the loop at our workshop in Kinsau by also directly recycling all internal acetate offcuts and milling shavings. This is our recycled acetate.
  
• Every pair of glasses from the FUNK PHOENIX PROJECT is therefore a statement in favour of a genuine circular economy without compromising on design.

The Celion® material used in our glasses is a high-purity cellulose acetate.

In the patented recycling process developed by IMEKO , all harmful substances and odours are completely removed, resulting in a material that is completely odourless and gentle on the skin.

The Celion® material complies with the strict EU regulations (EC No 1907/2006) and contains no substances of very high concern (SVHC) above the 0.1% threshold.
See REACH compliance (Link)

Free from harmful substances:
Based on chemical analyses carried out by Bureau Veritas/Cesmec, IMEKO certifies that critical substances such as lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic are well below the detectable limits.

Skin compatibility:
The Celion® material is formulated with biocompatible plasticisers, making it safe for direct skin contact.

Odourless:
PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) such as naphthalene or anthracene are not detectable (< 0.5 mg/kg), which guarantees absolute purity and odourlessness.

Link to
View certificate (PDF)

You can look after your Celion® glasses just like any other high-quality acetate glasses. An ultrasonic cleaner or lukewarm water with a drop of neutral washing-up liquid is ideal.

Tip: Use a soft microfibre cleaning cloth for daily cleaning. Avoid harsh chemicals or alcohol-based disinfectants to preserve the surface’s shine in the long term.

Processing: The material can be processed in the same way as high-quality standard acetate.

Lensing: We recommend gently heating the centre section for lens fitting; the material exhibits excellent dimensional stability.

No, the frame is 100% odourless. IMEKO’s patented process completely removes odour-causing substances, nicotine and tar from the fibres, leaving no residue. 

What remains is pure, odourless cellulose acetate, which is indistinguishable from new spectacle acetate in terms of feel and smell.

Yes, absolutely. Celion® is formulated as a phthalate-free bioacetate and uses biocompatible, plant-based plasticisers.& nbsp;

Independent laboratory tests carried out by the accredited institute CESMEC (Bureau Veritas Group) confirm that heavy metals (such as lead, arsenic, cadmium or mercury) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are below the laboratory detection limits.&

Furthermore, the material fully complies with the European REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 and is free from substances of very high concern (SVHC).

A single kilogramme of Celion® material captures around 3,400 cigarette filters. 

For a single pair of spectacle frames, this means that, depending on the model size and lens thickness, several hundred cigarette ends have been permanently removed from the natural environment and transformed into a long-lasting product

In terms of stability, break resistance and flexibility, there is no difference in quality compared to conventional acetate. 

The patented cleaning process preserves the natural molecular chain of the cellulose acetate intact.&

As this is a genuinely circular recycled material, subtle aesthetic nuances and vibrant depths can emerge within the material, making each sheet a distinctive, one-of-a-kind piece.

Yes, absolutely. 

As we press high-quality, solid acetate sheets from granules at our workshop in Kinsau and mill the frames by hand from these sheets, the material behaves exactly like any premium acetate in the optical workshop: It can be heated at normal workshop temperatures, fitted to the shape of your head with millimetre precision, and fitted with new lenses at any time without any problems.

The official life cycle assessment shows a 36 per cent reduction in the carbon footprint compared with new cellulose acetate. 

The difference is even more pronounced when it comes to water consumption: For 1 metric tonne of Celion®, only approx. 0.75 m³ of water is required – compared with around 68 m³ of water for conventional acetate. Furthermore, 100 per cent of the cooling water is recirculated and the process water is reused several times.

Yes. Celion® is certified to the world’s leading standard, ISCC PLUS (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification). This certification attests to the seamless traceability and the sustainable, bio-circular origin of the raw materials throughout the entire supply chain.

The chemical separation and granulate production are carried out by the cleantech start-up IMEKO in Chile.& nbsp;

The entire artisanal manufacturing process – pressing the raw granules into our own acetate sheets, mould milling, grinding, riveting and multi-stage hand polishing – takes place entirely at our ‘transparent’ eyewear factory in Kinsau (Bavaria).

Every pair of PHOENIX glasses is manufactured at the FUNK eyewear factory in Kinsau, Germany, from the very first blank right through to the final polish.

• We rely on traditional craftsmanship: each frame is precisely milled and hand-polished to a high gloss in a process lasting several days.
  
• Thanks to local production, we guarantee the shortest delivery routes and the highest quality standards.

The PHOENIX Project combines external upcycling with our tried-and-tested internal recycling process.

Every acetate shaving produced during milling and every sheet off-cut is carefully collected and sorted by type at our workshop in Kinsau.

These valuable resources are shredded, filtered and without the addition of any new plastics, pressed into new, high-strength acetate sheets.

This creates a unique material appearance that reflects the story of its origins in every shade of colour.

Design & Uniqueness

• The use of in-house recycled acetate results in random colour patterns that cannot be reproduced by machine.
  
• Every pair of glasses made from this material is a truly unique piece – as individual as the scraps from which it was created.
  
• In combination with the new Celion® material, we are thus setting new standards for the aesthetics of sustainable eyewear fashion.