The Stretton family from Anna Bay - parents Deb and David with children Josh and Jessica - have always been close to nature and passionate about looking after the environment.
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But the long days outdoors, on the water and surfing, meant constant exposure to the sun's rays and the potential for eye damage.
So when an opportunity presented itself to invest in a company producing sunglasses made from natural, sustainable and environmentally friendly materials and featuring the highest UV ray standards in Australia, the Strettons were sold.
After months of research on the eco-friendly Parafina range of sunglasses, the Strettons launched the product under the trade name Arouni Collections. Parafina is Spanish for surf wax.
A pop-up store has been set up on the Nelson Bay marina.
So far the feedback has been extremely positive, according to Deb Stretton, a former marketing manager at d'Albora Marinas, who has also worked in the sunglasses retail industry in Sydney.
"The concept for Parafina sunglasses was born in a small town in Paraguay," she said.
"To us it was the perfect fit - the Parafina range is unisex, for all ages, comes in all colours and styles with a frame made of recycled material and a lens made in Germany with the highest UV standards.
"What's more, the silicone range is both water resistant and floats if dropped in the water so it's great for boaties, sailors and fishermen."
Aronui Collections secured the distribution rights Australia wide for the classy shades, which combines the latest, state-of-the-art manufacturing technology with unique hand-crafted tradition
"What's more, there are no chemicals used in the product from the manufacturing right through to the packaging," said Stretton.
The bamboo collection is handcrafted from sustainable sourced bamboo from plantations which grow free, wild and toxic-free, while the eco-silicone collection uses approximately 250,000 post consumer PET bottles diverted from landfill each year, turning them into super flexible, light and highly resistant shades.
The range includes organic bamboo, cork, aluminium and eco silicone.
The glasses retail from $145 to $190 and can be purchased online at aronuicollections.com.au or at the pop-up store on Nelson Bay marina.
