If you've taken steps to use less plastic, you've probably discovered it's nigh on impossible to completely eliminate it from your life, particularly if you rely on a necessary medical device like contact lenses.

Unfortunately, there are no plastic-free alternatives to contact lenses. They're one of the few plastic products users can't avoid, and they can become obsolete after they're purchased. 

So, after LASIK or a prescription change, what can you do with your old, unused contact lenses?

What is DonateContacts?

Waste generated by contact lenses can be "post-consumer waste" — i.e., used lenses and packaging — but a significant portion comes from salvageable, unused lenses.

DonateContacts is a non-profit founded by teenagers with a goal of "ending the enormous waste of contact lenses worldwide."

Its mission is twofold — in addition to diverting waste from landfills, DonateContacts works to provide underprivileged children and teens with high-quality contact lenses for free.

"I've been wearing contacts since I was 13 years old and my prescription is always changing before I finish [using] the lenses for my old prescription," explained founder Harris Gevinson on the organization's website. 

"I am always left with lots of unused contact lenses that no longer match my prescription," he added. 

After talking to classmates with the same problem, Harris launched DonateContacts and got his friends involved.

"There are so many contacts that go to waste because of prescription changes, and so many underprivileged children in need," said former president and fellow contact lens wearer Ella Millen.

Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to recycle old clothes and electronics? Giving me money back 💰 Letting me trade for new stuff 👕 Making it as easy as possible ⚡ Keeping my stuff out of landfills 🗑️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Why is DonateContacts' work so important?

DonateContacts supplies organizations like Feed the Children with contact lenses and accessories to be distributed efficiently to young contact lens wearers in need, which in and of itself makes a massive, positive difference.

Then there's the environmental impact of its mission. DonateContacts alluded to the "enormous waste of contact lenses" on a global scale. According to the CDC, 16.7% of American adults — nearly 41 million people — wore contact lenses as of 2014.

Moreover, worn lenses are more difficult to recycle, partly due to the specialized plastics used in their manufacture. While it's possible to recycle used contact lenses, as many as one in five wearers dispose of used lenses in drains and toilets, exacerbating the problem of microplastics in our oceans. 

Environmental Health students at Arizona State University looked at the scope of contact lens waste in 2018, and their findings were unsettling. Based on then-recent estimates of 45 million total users, they estimated between 1.8 and 3.36 billion contacts are "flushed per year, or about [22-25 tons] of wastewater-borne plastics annually," researcher Charles Rolsky said. 

It's harder to quantify waste generated by unused contacts, but DonateContacts keeps them and their packaging out of landfills. 

How DonateContacts cuts down on contact lens waste

DonateContacts doesn't just accept donations of unused contact lenses; it also takes and distributes sealed contact lens solutions and carrying cases. 

Unlike worn lenses, unused materials are typically discarded in their bulky containers, creating even more unnecessary waste.

According to the organization, 4 million contact lenses, 125,000 bottles of solution, and 30,000 lens cases were diverted away from landfills and given to kids in need as of early 2023.

It's easy to participate, too — simply mail eligible products and non-expired contact lenses to the address on DonateContacts' website.

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