Recycle Contact Lenses Packaging

Go Green and Recycle Contact Lenses Packaging.

The end to end trail of waste generated annually in the US from contact lens packaging can circle the earth 3 times over 1  . So why not learn how to properly recycle your contact lenses and packaging.

You can recycle contact lens-related waste including:

  • Cardboard box packaging
  • Opened plastic blister packs
  • Plastic solution bottles and cases

Tip : Have an empty water bottle container in your bathroom . Collect your empty blister packs in this recycle it once it’s full.

Cardboard boxes and plastic packaging are recyclable through your regular municipal / local council recycling.

The following cannot be recycled:

  •  The top foil cannot be recycled and must be removed prior to recycling plastic blister packs. They would need to be discarded as waste.
  • The very small size of the actual contact lenses makes them unsuitable for recycling plants to process them.

What are contact lens companies doing to become more sustainable?

Bausch + Lomb was the first contact lens manufacturer to introduce an environmentally friendly biodegradable lens shipping package, and they continue to innovate new ways to go greener. They use 100% recyclable molded paper fiber packaging, created clear PET packaging for its renu solution, and added universally accepted recycling codes to its solution product bottles.  Bausch + Lomb’s ONE by ONE Recycling Program is the first sponsored contact lens recycling program that allows used contact lenses and packaging to be recycled properly. This is however only available to US and Australian markets for now . Keep an eye out as most certainlyit will roll over to Europe too in the near future

Johnson & Johnson has achieved Earthwards recognition for their most improved products, such as ACUVUE OASYS. To reduce polypropylene usage and waste, J&J Vision Care, Inc. completely redesigned the blister holding ACUVUE contact lenses and their fluid. This allows opposing blisters to nest, thereby requiring less packages, and subsequently, producing less waste.

CooperVision has won numerous awards for their sustainable practices. In 2016, they opened an energy efficient manufacturing plant in Costa Rica that recycles up to 90% of its solid waste, 100% of plastic components generated by the manufacturing process, and derives 90% of the facility’s electricity from by renewable sources.

  1. BL one-by-one-recycling