How Can We Give Plastic A Second Life? | James Merrill, Opolis Optics

James, founder of Opolis Optics, spent the last decade living and working on every corner of the world for The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other international NGOs. From Asia to the Middle East and all across Africa, James helped to build and expand programs that addressed gender and economic inequality, agricultural value chains, climate change, and biodiversity protection policies. ​

All of this allowed James to see the magnificent beauty of the world first hand; the sights, the people, the cultures. However, the images of violence, poverty, pollution and abandonment he saw have stayed with him too. That's what Opolis is born out of. The beauty and despair James experienced around the world inspired him to create a brand with a soul; a company that's able to uplift and benefit the communities (and the unsung heroes) he met along the way; a lifestyle that would take his love for travel, culture, photography, the environment and adventure, and use it to have a positive impact.

And so it happened. James left his old life behind and created Opolis Optics, a sunglasses brand on a mission to help those in need, while shedding light on the beauty and afflictions both people and the planet endure every day.