Spectacle Recycling

Help us to help others

Do you have an old pair of glasses tucked away in a drawer somewhere not being used?  Instead of throwing your unwanted glasses away, why not donate them at our practice?  The simple donation of unwanted glasses can make a huge difference to someone living in less fortunate circumstances abroad.

Since the 1980s we have collected thousands of donated glasses to send off to vision charities who more commonly recycle the spectacles for their metal content to fund building vision clinics in some of the most isolated communities.

Why not ship all spectacles abroad?

A handful of charities accept donated spectacles for grading and distribution dependent on their capacity to do so, however the process of sorting, cleaning and delivering donated glasses abroad is an expensive process.

Volunteers are required to measure the prescription in the lenses first before being sent away. In fact, back in the early 2000s, Ross Turner, our Proprietor Optometrist, used to volunteer at the local prison to train up prisoners to measure the lenses in donated spectacles.

The power of the lenses in a pair of recycled glasses is rarely the same as another person’s prescription so the money earnt by recycling spectacles for their metal content allows charities overseas to provide affordable new glasses to the individual’s own specific prescription.

You can drop by our practice anytime during our opening hours to donate your unwanted glasses – but remember to keep a spare pair aside just in case of need!