Bausch + Lomb recycles a total of over 625,000 pounds of contact lenses and eye care products

That weight is the equivalent of approximately 600 concert grand pianos. Image credit: AdobeStock/NaMongProductions

Bausch + Lomb has announced that its ONE by ONE Recycling and Biotrue Eye Care Recycling programs have collected a total of 103,169,500 units, or 625,026 pounds, of used contact lenses, eye care, and lens care materials in the US.¹ That weight is the equivalent of approximately 600 concert grand pianos, according to a news release.

“These award-winning recycling programs continue to drive a positive environmental impact, offering eye care professionals, patients and consumers a way to properly recycle used eye health materials,” said Amy Butler, vice president of Global Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability at Bausch + Lomb, in the release.

Contact lenses, eye care, and lens care materials are often inefficiently processed in standard recycling facilities due to their small size and the type of plastic used to manufacture them. Thus, they are disposed of in landfills or end up in waterways. In the US, an estimated 6 to 10 metric tons of disposed contact lenses end up in wastewater each year.¹

“The ONE by ONE and Biotrue Eye Care Recycling programs allow my practice and patients to responsibly recycle eye health items—something that wasn’t possible until these programs became available," said Jennifer Tsai, OD, of LINE OF SIGHT in New York, in the release. "We’re proud to collect these materials and contribute to a cleaner environment and healthier planet.”

The ONE by ONE Recycling program has collected over 101 million used contact lenses, blister packs, and top foils since the program’s launch in November 2016. For the Biotrue Eye Care Recycling program, 1.3 million eye drop single dose units, lens cases, lens solution caps, and all Biotrue-branded eye drop bottled have been collected since the program’s April 2021 launch. Additionally, for every 10 pounds collected for the ONE by ONE program, a $10 donation is made to Optometry Giving Sight. Bausch + Lomb also has a similar contact lens recycling program in Canada called Every Contact Counts.¹

The company works to measure its environmental metrics with its FEWW initiative, or fuel, energy, water, and waste.¹

Eye care practice providers are able to become a TerraCycle public drop-off point by requesting to join the program on TerraCycle’s website. The company’s administrators will review applications, and volunteer administrators will manage the drop-off points. The administrators will also choose the location, hours, and accepted waste streams. Participants in the program also receive TerraCycle Recycling Rewards for the trash sent in, which can be redeemed as a cash donation to a school, charity, or nonprofit of your choice. To manage a drop-off site, the location needs to be monitored to ensure proper usage, and when boxes are filled, materials then need to be sealed and sent out with prepaid labels. There are no direct costs associated with managing a drop-off location.²

After a shipment is sent out and arrives at a material recovery facility, the shipment information, date weight, and material is recorded. After inspecting and sorting the packages, various material types are sent to third-party partners to recycle all accepted waste. The recycled trash is then made into new products including outdoor furniture, plastic pellets, tubing for construction applications, and playground surface covers, among others.³

References:

1. Bausch + Lomb reports more than 100 million units of contacts lenses, lens care, and eye care materials collected through ONE by ONE and Biotrue Eye Care Recycling programs. News release. Bausch + Lomb. April 21, 2025. Accessed April 22, 2025. https://www.bausch.com/newsroom/news/?id=255

2. Bausch + Lomb ONE by ONE free recycling program (drop-off). TerraCycle. Accessed April 22, 2025. https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/bauschrecyclesinoffice#@40.77027075200147:-95.93705549677736zoom:4

3. Find a TerraCycle drop-off point. TerraCycle. Accessed April 22, 2025. https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/about-terracycle/drop_off_locations#@40.77027075200147:-95.93705549677736zoom:4