April 19, 2023 — Bausch + Lomb has announced its recycling programs—made possible through a partnership with TerraCycle—have recycled a total of 65.8 million units, or 397,194 pounds, of used contact lenses and eye- and lens-care materials. According to the company, this is equivalent to the weight of three commercial-sized airplanes.
 
Due to their small size and type of plastic used, contact lenses and eye- and lens-care materials are not typically processed in standard recycling facilities. “We created the One by One program and later extended our efforts with the Biotrue Eye Care Recycling program to provide eyecare practitioners and their patients with a way to properly recycle these used materials and help prevent them from ending up in our environment,” says Amy Butler, vice president, global environment, health, safety, and sustainability at Bausch + Lomb. “Now, with nearly 13,000 eye doctors’ offices participating…we can take these once forgotten waste streams and use the millions of materials to create various post-consumer products like picnic tables and benches.”
 
Since its launch in 2016, the One by One recycling program has collected more than 65 million units of used contact lenses, top foils, and blister packs. The Biotrue Eye Care Recycling program has collected more than 440,000 single-dose eye drop units, lens cases, and lens solution caps since launching in 2021.
 
For more sustainable initiatives in the optical sector, head to EB Trendspotting.
 
For more information: bauschrecycles.com.