What to do with your old glasses and sunglasses

It’s national Recycle Week so here’s some handy hints on recycling your old glasses and sunglasses. Repairing and rewearing is the most eco friendly way to reuse your old glasses, but the next best thing is to recycle your old eyewear.

Glasses frames are a tricky mix of metal and plastic, they currently can’t be simply popped in with the household recycling, as the materials need separating out to be fully recycled.

So how can you recycle your old glasses? Here’s our guide to recycling and donating glasses and sunglasses.

reduce glasses waste

Choosing a quality pair of glasses is the best way to reduce glasses waste and keep them out of landfill. Look for quality acetate, metal not plastic hinges and a nice weight and feel will reveal a well made pair.

Go for vintage or preloved secondhand glasses frames over buying new for a more circular sustainable option.

Look after your eyewear, as loved things last. Keep in the case and clean with the cloth - no leaving glasses lens down and you’ll avoid scratches and cracks - head here for more on how to look after your glasses.

Repair and rewear your old frames instead of being tempted to buy new each time your prescription updates.

Repair and rewear old glasses

If you can't bear to part with your favourite glasses, reuse and rewear your old eyewear. Damaged lenses can be reglazed and updated while your frames can be repaired and restored to bring them back into use.

Frame scratching and whitening can be polished out, hinges repaired, nose pads replaced and sides straightened. The reglazing process is easy and your old lenses can be simply replaced with your new updated prescription.

If you’re still in love your current frame, re-lensing glasses is the perfect sustainable solution. You have the option to add in extra coatings or add in a blue light filter for a pocket friendly alternative to buying new.

Or you could add in a tinted lens and turn your old glasses into sunglasses, breathing new life into your old pair.

recycle your old glasses

Old glasses frames or vintage sunglasses hanging around? Don't throw them away - feel good and give back by donating them to us to be recycled or upcycled.

Donate your old frames and we’ll repurpose them by restoring and reselling your unwanted frames saving them from landfill. Or we’ll reuse their parts for repairs. The majority of our donated frames go on to Lions Club who use them to do good in sight related projects in the UK and overseas.

Any we can’t salvage go for recycling at a specialist facility.

Send us your vintage glasses or modern glasses frames and you’ll receive a £10 voucher to spend in store on a new-to-you frame.

You can also donate them direct to Lions Club who will use them to raise money for sight related charity projects across the UK. Vision Aid Overseas are no longer running their glasses recycling scheme.

We don’t recommend donating your old glasses to charity shops, unless they have a designated glasses recycling collection box, as they won’t be able to resell the glasses with prescription lenses and might just end up in landfill. They may accept ready reading glasses, but check with your local charity shop first.

play Dress Up

Keep your old glasses for costume parties and fancy dress. Mums.. a small supply of glasses, particlarly round Harry Potter frames, can come in more than useful for World Book Day. Then there’s Halloween and theme parties to consider.. go as your favourite glasses icon.. we’re thinking Elton John, Iris Apfel, Jackie O or Michael Caine.

re-Sell your old glasses

Cotton Bro

Keep unwanted eyewear out of landfill and make a little money for your next frame purchase by selling your old glasses on eBay or Depop. Use a good picture and lots of lovely description to help them sell, remembering to include any flaws. Glasses, especially modern frames, have eye size, frame width and lots of information including make and model numbers on the inside to help you make that sale.

gift your glasses

Daria shevtsova

Give your glasses as a gift to friends or family, a frame might just suit them too. We wouldn’t advise sharing lenses with your bespoke prescription, as wearing the incorrect strength can damage your peepers, so lenses should be removed first.

Your gifted glasses can be restored and reglazed as a present for a loved one or made into ready reading glasses perfect for regifting.

If you want to learn more about what you can and can’t recycle - head over to Recycle Now and let’s keep what we can out of landfill #reducereuserecycle

Jo

Sustainable Living - Plastic Free July

aldo delara

It’s Plastic Free July and we’re looking at sustainable living - how we can ditch the plastic and introduce more planet friendly alternatives.

Microplastics are everywhere, swimming in our oceans, filling up our earth and now raining down in the air we breathe. It’s time to wean ourselves off the plastic - here’s our take on sustainable living and where to start.

plastic free july

marten bjork

Now more than ever single use plastics are clogging up our planet, polluting our oceans and our lives. Choose to refuse single use plastics this July and search out low waste or no waste alternatives, it’s easier than you think.

The Plastic Free July site is the perfect place to start with lots of hints and tips on ways to get started. There’s no judgement, just great planet friendly ideas to help the earth and ease your conscience.

I’ve been on my eco journey for a few years now, slowly but surely reducing my plastic consumption and swapping out products and habits in favour of eco friendly alternatives where and when I can. I’ve ditched the clingfilm and the kitchen towels (cloth napkins all the way) and I’ve invested in a home composter for my food waste. It’s a work in progress, I’ve taken inspiration from vintage lifestyles, when we used to live much more simply.

Before you buy, stop and think about the low or no waste options. Buy things made to last and not single use throwaway destined straight for landfill. Seek out planet-friendly materials such as wood, paper, cardboard (all biodegradable) and metal or glass, both of which are more easily recyclable than plastic along with more durable and longlasting.

Look to the 5 R’s: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot

Plastic Free Swaps

Luisa Brimble

Here’s some simple swaps to get you started on your plastic free, low waste journey…

Reuse your old jars - jam and pickle jars are perfect for rehousing, from dried beans, to seeds, to paperclips - it’s a win win.

Shop small - buy from smaller suppliers with sustainable processes and packaging.

Reusable silicone lids or beeswax wraps - perfect for popping over leftovers of all shapes and sizes, though the old plate over a plate tactic works just as well.

Replace - water bottles, coffee cups, sandwich bags and plastic bags with reusable versions and keep in a tote bag by the door.

Swap your soap - from liquid to solid bar soap, it’s an easy swap plus it lasts a lot longer.

Buy refillable - toiletries and cleaning products can be purchased from your local or online zero waste store in bigger sizes.

Buy in bulk - and buy loose produce, less individual wrappings equals less plastic.

Wave goodbye to wipes - wipes of any kind make up over 90% of icky fatbergs, go back to basics with washable cloths.

Wash with care - wash at low temps and use a GuppyFriend washing bag to capture microplastics.

kiki siepel

Besma, Curiously Conscious, has a great article on making simple plastic free swaps. Check out The Story of Plastic (Discovery) for more.

Feeling inspired? Take the pledge here

Little acts can add up to a big difference - we got this.

Jo