Want to go GREEN with your old eyewear? Here are a few simple ways to reduce waste and recycle eyewear and eyecare products.
1. Donate your old eyewear! We have a collection box in our south Overland Park office, stop by and help yourself to some coffee. :) These frames are cleaned and repaired before they are donated to VOSH and other medical mission groups that provide eyewear to those in need in the US and abroad. Both Dr. Fose and Dr. Strong have participated in these missions and played a part in prescribing thousands of glasses for people that otherwise may have lived the rest of their lives with poor vision or even blindness without these "old" glasses.
2. Take great care of your eyewear. Replacing scratched lenses creates waste that is not easily recycled. Use your lens cloth for cleaning (instead of your shirt), and always store your eyewear in the case.
3. We collect and recycle contact lens blister packs (the clear plastic cases from the manufacturers) in our office. At this time, the foil covers are not being collected for the recycling program.....but hopefully soon! TerraCycle, a fantastic recycling platform, has developed relationships with optometrists and contact lens manufactures to assist in reducing waste from the eyecare industry. They have solutions for almost everything imaginable. Check them out and get involved if this is near and dear to your heart.
4. Recycle your contact lens solution bottles. These bottles, usually made of #1, 2, or 4 plastic, are accepted by most local recycling programs and considered safe to place in curbside pick-up recycle bins.
5. Toss your contact lens boxes in the usual recycle bin. These boxes are safe to recycle with other cardboard materials.
6. Eat FRESH! Using fresh, unpackaged foods not only reduces your carbon footprint, but it's also better for your eye health! Those leafy greens are particularly good at reducing the risk for macular degeneration, a serious sight-threatening disease.