What to do with glasses and eyewear?
Not clear on what to do with your old glasses and eyewear? They can’t be recycled but you can donate them to charity to be reused.
Household recycling collection
Used glasses and eyewear aren’t collected as part of household recycling collections.
Household waste recycling centre (HWRC)
Not recycled at household waste recycling centres.
Other collections
Ask your local optician if they collect glasses. Lots of them do and they are donated to charities who send them to developing countries
Can I recycle contact lenses?
Contact lenses can be recycled through Vision Direct’s postal service, various Terracycle drop off points across the country or by purchasing a Terracycle Zero Waste Bag.
Contact lenses are not biodegradable and should be put in general waste. It is important that you never wash your used lenses down the sink or flush them down the toilet - this can lead to the plastics polluting marine environments.
Plastic blister packs, solution bottles and the cardboard packaging your lenses come in can be recycled at local recycling points and some household collection schemes.
Recycling is constantly evolving and changing so check back for updates or try our recycling locator to find out what you can recycle at home and where you can recycle or pass on unwanted items in your local area.