Designing with nature, partnering with purpose
In a world where sustainability is often just a marketing buzzword, Joplins stands out as a brand born from genuine personal transformation. I recently sat down with Rafael Dutra, founder of Joplins sustainable eyewear, to hear how corporate burnout led to creating sunglasses that are good for both people and the planet.
How burnout sparked a sustainable business
Rafael's journey didn't start with a business plan or market analysis. It began with burnout.
"I had a big burnout, and I needed to connect to nature and the outdoors. But then, in the outdoors I realized that I needed sunglasses," Rafael explains with a laugh. His time in the corporate world had left him feeling lost—"a fish in the middle of the ocean without knowing where to go."
This existential crisis pushed Rafael toward the outdoors, connecting with nature through surfing and hiking along Portugal's southern coast. During this period of self-discovery, Rafael's positive outlook earned him the nickname "Buddha" among friends.
This mindset led him to discover a Canadian brand called Bamboodha, which resonated deeply with him. When a partnership didn't materialize, friends encouraged him to start his own venture. Thus, Joplins was born.
What makes Joplins different: Materials with meaning
The sunglasses industry isn't exactly known for sustainability. But Joplins has built its entire identity around eco-friendly materials:
Credit: Joplins
Bamboo and wood from reforested plantations
Bioacetate made from wood pulp, cotton fibers, and natural plasticizers
Ocean plastic recovered from the sea
"The ocean plastics, in my vision, are becoming the most sustainable because it's post-consumer waste that we are recycling," Rafael explains. "Not only do we gather bottles from the ocean to make sunglasses, but we also donate to remove plastic bottles."
Credit: Joplins
Each collection has its benefits. The bioacetate frames are the strongest and allow for easy lens replacement. The wooden frames offer unique aesthetics. The ocean plastic collection—which they're launching on Kickstarter as "The Tide Collection"—represents their most affordable and potentially most sustainable option.
Partnerships: An abundance mindset in a scarcity world
What makes Rafael's approach unusual is his commitment to partnerships—even with competitors. In an industry where others guard their territory, he embraces collaboration.
"Even when I first met my competitor here in Portugal, I came to his stand and talked to him to share some insights and to become friends, and he was very defensive and reluctant," Rafael recalls. "While he was thinking of scarcity, by that time I was thinking, 'Hey, there is a whole market for us. Let's grow together. Let's join forces.'"
Today, these former competitors are friends who often share market space. Rafael explains the counter-intuitive strategy: "If a consumer sees one brand of sunglasses, he's going to think, 'Should I buy sunglasses or not?' But if he sees two stands of sunglasses together, he's going to ask himself, 'Which sunglasses should I buy?'"
This abundance mindset extends to environmental partnerships as well. Joplins works with organizations for both tree planting and plastic removal, and they've recently partnered with Nivea to promote sunblock alongside their ocean plastic frames.
Manufacturing realities: Balancing local and global
Rafael shares the realities of manufacturing sustainable products at scale. Joplins produces frames in both Portugal and China—a necessary balance for survival.
"The manufacturing in China is indeed really good. They're faster, they're less bureaucratic, and they're cheaper as well," he admits. "I wish the manufacturing in Europe was more agile, cheaper, and less bureaucratic."
He's seen competitors fail by insisting on European-only production. "If I were to count only with the manufacturers in Europe, I'm not sure if I would be able to sustain business unless I was already a very well established business with funds."
Credit: Joplins
Marketing strategy: From social media to AI transformation
How does a small sustainable brand compete in a crowded marketplace? For Joplins, it's a mix of traditional and cutting-edge approaches:
Social media (primarily Instagram for their 25-60 year old audience)
Sustainable marketplaces like Avocadostore in Germany
Partnerships that bring in traffic without direct costs
Remarketing to convert that traffic
But what's truly revolutionized their approach is AI. Rafael has created a virtual team through custom GPTs:
"I created a few GPTs, telling them the tone of the brand, tone of Joplins, how Joplins is, who am I? And then, basically, it learned everything about Joplins. I created the GPT for marketing—the marketing manager. It's called Marketing Maven. Then we have the GPT for Brand, which is called the Brand Visionaire. Then we have the GPT designer consultant, and then we have the GPT Copywriter."
These AI tools have dramatically reduced costs—Rafael mentioned paying $400 for a single blog post before, but now he can "make a blog post in 5 minutes, using the strategic keywords and post more often than ever before."
He's also leveraging Translation AI to create professional multi-language websites and Virtual Try-On technology to overcome the barrier of customers wanting to try glasses before buying.
One area where he draws the line: AI-generated model photos. "I don't want things to look perfect. I want things to look real," he insists.
Future vision
Joplins has been bootstrapped and crowdfunded from the beginning, with no outside investors. Rafael has run successful campaigns on Indiegogo and is preparing for a Kickstarter launch for the ocean plastic collection.
After eight years in business Rafael is now open to investment. "If you don't grow as a brand and become recognized and scale in a larger scale, it's really hard to sustain business," he acknowledges.
He's particularly interested in crowd equity platforms, where customers and supporters can become investors. "Our Kickstarter backers could be, or our clients could be, our new investors, making them feel part of it."
Other product lines may include accessories, hats, beanies, and scarves—"everything from the chest up"—to help sustain business during winter months when sunglasses sales naturally dip.
Tri-fold Sunglasses Cork Case. Credit: Joplins.
Advice for sustainable entrepreneurs
For those considering the leap into sustainable entrepreneurship, Rafael offers hard-earned wisdom:
"Be very minimalist in a way that you live under your means, because for starting up, you really have to not spend money. You have to do everything with scarcity."
He emphasizes the importance of simplicity: "Not only is it going to help with you being able to do whatever you want, but also the simple mindset communicates better."
Finally, and perhaps most importantly: "Do something that you're having fun with, something that you are enjoying even if it's not working well."
Rafael's persistence through years without profit demonstrates this principle.
Joplins represents a new wave of sustainable businesses—founded on personal values, committed to environmental impact, and leveraging cutting-edge technology to compete with established players. While the path hasn't been easy, Rafael's abundance mindset and genuine passion continue to drive the brand forward.
As he puts it: "I believe in energy, and the energy is going to come back to you once you're propagating that good energy."
Visit Joplins at wearjoplins.com to explore their sustainable eyewear collections and join their upcoming Kickstarter campaign for their new ocean plastic collection.