Before now contact lenses were just another item to be thrown in the bin, flushed down the toilet and added to the ever-growing amount of plastic waste in landfill, but not anymore! Contact lens brand Acuvue and recycling company Terracycle have teamed up to create a contact lens recycling scheme which is available to everyone, and we are thrilled to announce we are now part of this scheme.
What Can Be Recycled?
The contact lens recycling scheme is currently only available to soft contact lens wearers, so if you wear daily, 2 weekly or monthly, soft contact lenses these can be recycled. Your contact lenses and blister packaging can be recycled, this includes the plastic pot and foil lid. The cardboard packaging the lenses come in can be put in your normal recycling. We cannot recycle hard contact lenses, solution bottles or storage pots yet.
How Do I Recycle My Contact Lenses?
Keep hold of all your blister packaging and used contact lenses. When you’re ready to recycle them just bring them in and pop them into our designated contact lens recycling box. We’ll do the rest and send them off to be recycled.
What Happens Next?
We send all your contact lenses and packaging away to Terracycle to be recycled. Once they receive them they will split the materials up, clean them and break them down. The parts are then used to create sustainable products such as outdoor garden furniture. That’s right your old contact lenses could turn into a park bench!
Raising Money For Charity
When you recycle your contact lenses we earn points which equate to a monetary amount to be donated to a charity of our choice. So when we send away your contact lenses you are helping us to raise money for local charity Sight Support Derbyshire. As an extra donation we have decided that for each person who recycles their contact lenses throughout March, we will donate £5 to Sight Support Derbyshire.
You don’t have to wear just Acuvue contact lenses to take part, or even be registered with us. Our contact lens recycling scheme is open to all contact lens wearers. If you want to do you bit to help, our contact lens recycling box is located in our waiting area. Just ask a member of our team.
