Small steps towards big change

ALLPOETS believes in a better, sustainable future with less environmental impact and is a brand of the present with a claiming spirit and a sustainable DNA. ALLPOETS is a different look at the world... a look that sees poetry in nature.

Biobased and recycled acetate

Sustainable biobased cellulose

Managed forest and plantations Recycled & Sustainable

Eastman Acetate Renew™ Recycled waste plastics

Carbon renewal technology

SMALL STEPS TOWARDS

BIG CHANGE

It’s almos t 10 0 year s since H.O. Leighton founded our family business. But the challenges facing his planet feel a wor ld away from the challenges our gener ation faces today.

According to the Intergover nmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), our las t decade was the hot tes t on record for 125 year s and since 190 0, sea levels have r isen fas ter than in any preceding centur y. At Leightons, our nor th s tar is: ‘To See, To Hear, To Live’. But the ques tion of how bes t “To Live” in response to these times has made us adapt and think carefully about the impac t we have on the planet and people we ser ve. That’s why we founded our K aizen Initiative. Kaizen is the Japanese word whose liter al tr anslation is Kai = Change and Zen = Good. To us, it will represent our focus to continuously improve, lear ning what small s teps we can take to make a meaning ful dif ference over time. Here are some of the changes we’ve introduced so far : SUSTAINABLE EYEWEAR BR ANDS When it comes to responsible consumption, we are commit ted to of fer ing our cus tomer s added choice. We introduced sus tainable eyewear br ands, ECO and AllPoets, who use recycled mater ials to produce high quality fr ames and sunglasses. PACK AGING AND WASTE We are wor king with supplier s such as Cooper vision to limit the amount of plas tic going into landfill. All of our br anches now collec t the plas tic capsules that contac t lenses come in for recycling. In addition to this, our new Leightons br anded spec tacle case is cr af ted from 10 0% recycled mater ials. BEING ACTIVE IN OUR COMMUNITIES We suppor t The Tr ussell Tr us t, who suppor t a nationwide net wor k of foodbank s. Many of our br anches continue to have food collec tion points. We also encour age our br anches to forge link s with our communities, suppor ting local char ities and environmental groups. OFFSET TING WHAT WE CANNOT CONTROL We have joined other like minded businesses in the Ecologi community (ecologi.com), to plant trees to help of fset the car bon footpr int of some of our ac tivities. For ever y 5 order s we dispatch to cus tomer s, we plant 1 tree. We are well on our way to planting our fir s t 10 0 0 trees, and the great news is that you can suppor t us too by visiting ecologi.com/lohcandthcp GREENER TR ANSPORT For our teams in the field (our Audiologis ts, Senior Manager s and Pulse teams) we are moving over to fully elec tr ic or hybr id vehicles where possible. In addition to this we are looking at ways to make bet ter use of technolog y to hos t meetings and events so our teams don’t have to tr avel as much. We are also talking to our supplier s to find ways to s treamline tr anspor t and deliver y methods. SHINING A SPOTLIGHT FOR CHANGE We’ve commissioned an ex ter nal audit which has helped us to identif y the areas where we can make a positive dif ference and that has shaped our initiatives above and will guide us on our path to make fur ther changes in time. We appreciate that these are small s teps on a much longer and infinite jour ney to improve the wor ld around us and suppor t the society in which we wor k and live. We are combining our ef for ts inter nally and ex ter nally with our supplier s to ensure we are being bet ter. Bet ter for our planet, bet ter for the environment and ultimately being bet ter in how we do business. We’ll keep you updated as we go along.

STAYING EYE-SMART

HOW DO WE MANAGE THE EFFECTS OF SUNSHINE AND SCREEN TIME? School’s out for the summer! For many, it’s the star t of weeks of freedom, with long, sun-soaked days on the beach or a chance to spend time at home doing the things you love. But knowing how to balance time on a screen and time in the sun can make a distinct difference to our eyesight. Here are all the facts your family needs to know… A study by Childwise found that children between seven and 16 spent an average of 3.3 hours a day online in 20211. While for many, time on screens can help build valuable skills, too much time on our screens can contribute to problems with our eyesight. Myopia is the clinical term for shor tsightedness. It means that people see distant objects as blurr y. Although myopia can be a result of family histor y and lifestyle, there is increasing evidence to suggest that ex tended periods of time doing high concentration, close vision tasks can increase myopic symptoms2 . HOW TO SPOT THE SIGNS OF MYOPIA In babies, toddlers and children, you may notice that they: • Regularly rub their eyes • Sit too close to the T V • Struggle to see the whiteboard at school • Complain of headaches and/or eye strain In some cases, there are no symptoms at all and that’s why regular check-ups at your local optician are so impor tant. Ensuring your children spend regular time playing outside and using computer screens safely may help to reduce their risk of becoming shor tsighted. HOW CAN LEIGHTONS HELP? If you or your child develops myopia, there are a number of products that can help manage it. • Sof t contact lenses – like MiSight® by Cooper vision, reduce the progression of myopia by up to 59%3 . • Or tho-K contact lenses – help to gently reshape the surface of the front of the eye, reducing the progression of myopia. You can remove them in the morning to give crisp, glasses and contact lens free vision all day! • MiYOSMART spectacle lenses – these are per fect for kids who prefer spectacles and want to reduce the progression of myopia. They’ve been proven to curb myopia progression in children on average by 60%4 . HELLO SUNSHINE! Of course, protecting our eyes from the sun is just as beneficial as learning how to use screens responsibly too. According to a Transitions Study, our eyes are 10 times more sensitive to UV light than our skin, yet only 7% of us are aware of the damage it causes5 . Because children have big pupils and clearer lenses, they face a greater danger – 70% more UV light can reach the retina of a child6 . In the UK , cumulative exposure to UV is one of the main causes of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. 3 TIPS TO LOOK AF TER YOUR EYES IN THE SUN, SUMMER OR WINTER • Choose sunglasses that are

CE-marked and block at least 95% of UV rays. At Leightons we only stock sunglasses that offer a minimum of 99% protection. UV400 sunglasses will block all ultraviolet light, which includes both UVA and UVB. • Make sure any kids sunglasses are properly UV rated, as many toy sunglasses don’t offer adequate protection. • Wear sunglasses as of ten as you can outside – yes, even on cloudy days. Whether you choose wrap-around sunglasses, which stay-put whatever the activity, or classic shades, our team can help you find a fit that’s comfy and help you and your family to live life to the full from top brands like Maui Jim and Ray-Ban.

1The Monitor Repor t 2022, Childwise, 2022: https://www.childwise.co.uk/repor ts.html# monitorrepor t. 2Relation between Near Work and Myopia Progression in Student Population. Mater Sociomed, 2014: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/pmc/ar ticles/PMC4035135/. 3Clinical trial, A 3-year Randomized Clinical Trial of MiSight Lenses for Myopia Control, Chamberlain, 2019. 4Myopia progression (SER) by 59% and axial elongation (AL) decreased by 60% compared with those wearing SV lenses. 5Transitions UK. Transitions European Study, 2008. 6Ar ticle: Parents put on UV Aler t, Eyecare Trust, accessed 3 July 2022 https://www. eyecaretrust.org.uk/view.php?item_id=508.