Can you recycle contact lenses?

You can totally recycle contact lenses and some of the related packaging. However, it's not like crushing your soda cans for extra pocket change or breaking down all those Amazon boxes multiplying in your garage. 

Yes, contact lenses may be made of plastic polymers. No, you can't just toss them in your curbside recycling bin and celebrate lowering your carbon footprint.

Contact lenses are small. They're also more flexible than standard consumer plastic recyclables. All on their own in the wilderness of the recycling process, they can get lost. Or, worse, stuck in machinery, literally gumming up the works at recycling centers. 

What do you do with expired, unused, or used lenses? Can you actually recycle contact lenses, or is it the bathroom wastebasket for them? Some brands and manufacturers offer mail-in recycling options, and some packaging is recyclable through local means. Whatever you do, don't flush contacts or rinse them down the drain, as that literally puts microplastics into the water supply.

If you can't figure out how to recycle contact lenses, the bathroom trash can is the best location for them. But we've broken down exactly what you can recycle, how to do it, and why flushing your lenses is never the answer below.

How to recycle contact lenses

How you recycle your contact lenses depends on factors like your personal preferences and the brand you use. Here's a quick step-by-step that gets you started:

1. Check with your manufacturer. Look at packaging and websites for answers. Some manufacturers run mail-in recycling programs specifically for contacts and packaging. 

2. Don't use your curbside bins. Don't toss loose contacts or even the packages into your curbside bin. These items are too small for most regular recycling centers to work with.

3. Collect used lenses. Store your used contacts in a clean, dry container for later recycling.

4. Separate packaging. Boxes and instructions can typically go into your regular paper recycling bins. 

5. Ship in recyclables. Follow instructions to ship recyclable contact lenses and blister packs to manufacturer programs.

Not sure where to start? Check out Bausch + Lomb's ONE by ONE free recycling program, which accepts recycled contacts and packaging from all brands.

You might want to recycle contact lenses once you've worn them for the recommended period of time or if you've dropped your lenses on the floor and damaged them. Before you donate unused lenses still in the packaging and within the expiration date, consider whether you can donate them to a local charity.

Can you recycle contact lens packaging?

Yes, you can recycle parts of contact lens packaging. However, not everything your contacts originally arrived with can go in your curbside recycling bin or that sorting bin outside your local grocery store. 

Most of the paper components can go in your home or local recycling bins. However, plastic and foil elements are harder to recycle. Here's what you need to know:

• Paper and cardboard contact boxes. The outer box your contacts arrive in is typically made from paperboard or card stock. Usually, these elements are recyclable, and you can toss them in any recycling bin meant for paper products. Just make sure to remove everything first.

• Contact blister packs. These small packs, which hold each individual contact lens, are typically made of plastic. The tray is often covered with foil that you peel away to access the contact inside. Neither of these materials belongs in your paper recycling bin, and the tray is typically too small for your curbside plastics bin. To recycle these items, you'll have to include them when you mail contacts and packaging to a manufacturer program. 

• Paper instruction inserts. Usually, these items are made from recyclable paper, and you can toss them in your normal paper recycling container. 

How to recycle contact lens blister packs

You can recycle blister packs via mail-in programs. Steps include:

• Peeling off the foil backing. You'll probably just need to throw that away in your trash can. Usually, it's not recyclable curbside.

• Rinsing the plastic tray. Remove any contact lens solution or residue and dry the tray.

• Collecting the trays. Keep a basket or other container handy to drop them in until you have enough to ship.

• Shipping them. Ship your blister packs to a program that accepts them, like the ONE by ONE program mentioned above.

You can also reach out to your local recycling center or waste management company to ask if they accept those blister packs. Because the packs are so small, you might need to collect them in a container before recycling them, even if local centers take them.

Can you recycle contact lens cases?

The short answer is that sometimes you can recycle contact lens cases. Most of them are made of durable plastic meant to be used long term. Sometimes, this plastic can be recycled.

However, you probably can't just deposit contact lens cases into your curbside recycling bin (are you seeing a trend here?) The cases are — you guessed it — small enough to be a pain for standard recycling processes. They're also not made out of the same high-volume plastics that milk jugs or water bottles are. Check your local recycling center's list of approved items for contact lens cases; if you don't see it, it's a good bet they don't take them. 

How to recycle contact lens cases

You should replace your contact lens cases periodically to support optimal hygiene. Here are some steps to take if you want to try to recycle used contact lens cases:

• Clean them well. Wash the cases and lids and let them dry completely.

• Check with local recycling programs. See if small plastic items like contact cases are accepted by your local recycler.

• Send cases to specialty recycling programs. If you can't recycle locally, you can send your used cases to specialty programs. The ONE by ONE program also takes these items.

Support your vision and the environment

As a contact lens wearer, you can make choices that positively impact your vision and help the environment. 

Before you can recycle old contact lenses and packaging, you'll need to order new-to-you lenses to support your vision needs. Find out how to order from 1-800 Contacts.