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The three of them get around mostly by bicycle or public transit, they eat very little meat — Alex-Anne Harvey eats none at all — and they recycle, compost and generate as little waste as possible.

Harvey and fellow optometrists Olivier Parenteau and Steven Sutton knew they wanted the Plateau Mont-Royal clinic they opened in June, Uvée — Optométriste de Quartier, to reflect the same commitment to eco-responsibility they show in their daily lives.

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Most of the eyeglass frames they carry are bio-acetate, a product made from plant materials like cotton fibre or wood pulp. Some use recycled metal. One supplier, Sea2see, makes frames from recycled plastic marine litter. Another, Toms, provides eye care — an exam, surgery, medical treatment or prescription glasses — to someone in need for every pair of glasses sold.

“We want to encourage businesses that have taken the initiative to do things better — even if it’s not yet perfect,” said Harvey, 30.