Week 48 - 20/20 for Everyone!

I am happy to say that at 42 years of age, I still have perfect vision. Granted my eyes do get tired faster and if I read for a few hours at a time things do get a little fuzzy. But I don’t wear glasses yet, so the number of useless eye glasses that may be lying around taking up space never really occurred to me. Just think about it. Prescriptions and fashion change often, as does a growing child. Not to mention those of us who have gone the Lasik route. Usually these outgrown, out of style or obsolete glasses end up in the landfill and that’s a shame. As a matter of fact, according to the Vision Council of America, “64% of adult Americans wear prescription glasses, yet less than 1/10 of 1% of glasses sold each year are donated and reused.” This is terrible since according to the World Health Organization, about 25% of the world’s population require eyeglasses. So what can we do with all those spare specs to help the environment? Recycle them of course!

Who: Give the Gift of Sight Program (givethegiftofsight.org)

Since 1991 this organization has collected and distributed used eyeglasses to people in developing countries. To date they have restored vision to 2.6 million people in 30 countries. They also provide free vision screening.

How:

Drop off your old glasses at:

LensCrafters
Pearle Vision
Sears
Target
BJ’s Optical

Who: The Lions Club (lionsclubs.org)

This organization collects more than 20 million glasses a year and passes them on to underprivileged kids and adults around the world.

How:

Visit lionsclub.org to find a donation box in your area (check out your local library). Also, on their website you can find a recycling center you can send the glasses to.

Who: New Eyes for the Needy (neweyesfortheneedy.org)

Last year, this organization provided recycled eye wear to more than 280,000 people in 22 countries.

How:

Send your “gently worn” glasses to:

549 Millburn Ave.
P.O. Box 332
Short Hills, NJ 07078


Keep in mind all of these organizations accept glasses which may need some repair, non-prescription sunglasses and are always very happy to receive children’s glasses.

The Why:

If you require incentive other than the warm fuzzy feeling, consider the following:

• Reusing glasses means saving the energy and materials needed to create a new pair. Okay it’s not a ton, but it’s something.


• Giving away your old glasses is a tax deductible donation.
  

This is another one of those win-win-win changes. The environment wins with less junk in landfills and less energy/material being used for production; our optically challenged brothers and sisters worldwide win by receiving glasses at minimal if any cost, which restores their vision and surely changes their lives; and we really make out: 1) above mentioned warm and fuzzy feeling from helping others, 2) less clutter in our drawers and 3) a tax deduction to boot. Whoever coined the phrase ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ was undoubtedly talking about eyeglasses!