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