How To Recycle & Dispose Of Your Colored Contacts

When you've finished wearing and enjoying your colored contact lenses, you may be wondering what to do with them. We're all trying to do our part to help the environment, so here are the best eco-friendly tips for properly disposing of your coloured contact lenses.

Problems With Contact Lens Disposal

Did you know that the majority of contact lenses are non-biodegradable? This means they're plastic and won't dissolve in water. They will remain undamaged and may enter our marine ecosystem, potentially causing harm to wildlife.

To help reduce plastic waste while still allowing you to wear coloured contacts, consider using long-lasting lenses that can be replaced less frequently. The vast majority of contact lenses on our website are reusable and last for one year. Items like contact lens cases and lens solution bottles can also be reused and repurposed if they are kept clean.

How To Dispose of Contact Lenses Properly

Contact lenses should be disposed of in the same manner as regular household trash. We do not recommend disposing of your contact lenses in the sink or toilet, which is an incredibly common way for users to discard contact lenses. This is due to the fact that contact lenses end up in our environment.

Contact lenses are sometimes so small and thin that they are filtered out of the regular recycling system. This means they are much more likely to end up in a regular landfill.

National Contact Lens Recycling Initiative

Contact lenses can be recycled. However, they cannot be recycled in any standard recycling program. This is due to the fact that contact lenses are too small to pass through the sorting process. The proper way to recycle contacts is to simply look up locations where you can dispose of your contacts on the One by One recycling program's website.

You can look for a location near you on this page. All contact lens brands and blister packs will be accepted. Contact lenses do not need to be cleaned. However, make sure there is no liquid in the blister eye and that no bottles or card cases are included.

If you don't want to take your old contact lenses to your local optician for recycling, you can send them to Terracycle. All you have to do is go to their website, and they will even send you a prepaid shipping label. For more information, please see the video below.

It may seem strange to many consumers to consider recycling immediately after purchasing something. However, this way of thinking could save a significant portion of the 22 metric tons of contact lenses that American households throw away improperly each year. According to the American Chemical Society, this figure is due to the fact that 20% of the 45 million Americans who wear contact lenses do not recycle them.

As a result, contact lenses are broken down into microplastics, which end up in our water or back in our fields. This will not happen again if contact lenses are recycled correctly. Unfortunately, many optometrists and colored contact lens wearers are not yet concerned with sustainability. Contact lens wearers who are concerned about sustainability have a number of options.

Taking on the problem as a colored contacts wearer and informing your friends is an excellent way to deal with it.