Photographer: Marcus Woelfle

Chances are if you use eyesight correction, you already have strong opinions on using contact lenses and glasses. With more of us going green, it may be time to consider the environmental impact as well. Glasses may seem like the obvious choice because they aren’t disposable, but the small size of contact lenses means there’s less total material, right?

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. It’s difficult to get an exact amount for the plastic, paper, and other materials used to make glasses and contact lenses, particularly for eyeglass frames, which can vary widely in materials and design. However, there’s enough data out there to get a rough estimate.

Plastic

The average pair of glasses lasts two years and two-and-a-half months. How your lenses are made makes a big difference in the amount of plastic used in the lenses: blanks contain 120 grams of plastic before milling, but pre-formed lenses weigh only 35 grams.

According to a study conducted by Eurolens, a one-year’s supply of contact lenses and the associated packaging creates 953 grams of plastic waste. The same study found that monthly contact lenses, their cases, and the solution over a year created 549 grams of waste. That works out to about 1.2 kg (2 lbs. 10 oz.) of plastic for monthly contacts and 2.1 kg (4 lbs. 10 oz.) of plastic for dailies during the life of a pair of eyeglasses.

To put this into perspective, the average American generates 1,600 lbs. of trash per year. Between buying and disposing of a pair of glasses, most people throw out 13.2 lbs. of trash in the form of plastic shopping bags.

CO2

10.5 lbs. of CO2 is released into the atmosphere to make one pair of eyeglass lenses while the equivalent amount of daily contact lenses comes to 231 lbs. of CO2.

What can I do to reduce my impact?

Obviously, glasses come out far ahead of contacts, and monthly contacts have a lower impact than daily disposables. However, no matter which method of eyesight correction you choose, there are ways of reducing their environmental impact.

Frameless glasses use the least material, but they don’t work for everyone. Look for frames made out of easily recyclable materials like aluminum or titanium. Avoid exotic woods and bone.

There are a number of organizations that accept old glasses that are donated to the poor; some of these will also take unused contacts. Most optician and optometrist offices will have a donation box where you can drop off these items the next time you have an appointment.

If you choose to go with contacts, try to reduce packaging as much as possible. Larger bottles of solution hold more fluid per ounce of plastic and some brands do without the box smaller bottles are packaged in. Bulk packages of lenses will also reduce packaging per lens. Although contact lenses themselves aren’t recyclable, much of the related packaging is. However, some recyclers won’t accept lens cases because they’re too small for processing.

Sara Roberts is a content contributor for Just Eyewear, an eyeglasses and prescription sunglasses retailer.

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