Newsome’s Notes
We have collected old spectacles for years. We used to give them to Vision Aid Overseas – now rebranded Vision Action – via the Lions Club, but the charity has stopped using second-hand spectacles in order to quite rightly focus on training to support the development of eyecare services in the countries where it is needed. So, we have accumulated a lot of old specs.
Recycling spectacles isn’t straightforward. There is a small volume of several materials in most spectacles. Consider their intertwined presentation: metal reinforcement in plastic sides, plastic end-tips on metal sides, various polymers in the form of lenses with metal oxide coatings on some surfaces but not all, nose pads attached with screws of a dissimilar metal to the metal pad arm, which again can be a dissimilar metal to the rest of the frame.
From our point of view, this is a dilemma. We talk to patients about sustainability, ethics and the environment. People these days are informed but not universally, and not all to the same level. Some get it and some don’t believe in it.
We offer as many environmentally-friendly ranges as possible, but the conversations are continuous and the truth is this is a multi-layered issue. How can I say with certainty where the cotton used to make this cellulose acetate frame comes from? I know all my suppliers are working on this; they are aware and trying.
As a practice owner, I have signed up with Recycline to purchase a box for spectacle recycling. You fill the box up, and when it’s full you ship it to them. I have costed shipping and the cost of the box, and I estimate it will cost me around three pence to recycle each pair of specs. But I see plenty of benefits for my business.
Not only will Recycline plant a tree when you have sent 100kg of spectacles, it stops my practice being overwhelmed with boxes of old specs. Beyond that, it’s something I can tell patients about so they know that the practice is really committed to the environment.
Have you thought about what your practice could do to deal with the problem of old specs? Let me know what you plan to do.