Proper disposal of contact lenses

It is common knowledge that when prescription and drug store eyeglasses need to be replaced, the unwanted pair can be given to those in need by depositing them at an optometrist’s office or in retail stores that provide collection boxes.

Environmental awareness, unfortunately, is not as clear for disposable contact lenses.to trace the end-life of lenses, Arizona State University researchers, Charles Rolsky, a PH.D. student working with Varun Kelkar and Rolf Ulrich Halden, revealed that millions of contact lenses end up in our water.

Municipal sewage plant workers, who were interviewed by the research team, confirmed that they have observed lenses in wastewater. With this information, the team began to study the effects by dropping lenses in liquids of varying densities. They and found that the lenses inevitably sank to the bottom, thus making them dangerous for bottom feeding fish that ingest these small plastic fragments. Other studies have shown that plastics absorb chemicals and can eventually find their way into our food chain. Regarding the trio’s local survey, Rolsky stated, “We found that 15 to 20% of contact wearers are flushing the lenses down the sink or toilet.”the Arizona researchers estimated that between six and 10 metric tons of plastic lenses are entering U.S. wastewater plants annually. Lenses are adding to the microplastic problem found in oceans, lakes and commercially bottled water. When sewage sludge contacts land, these small particles enter the soil. The results were presented at an annual meeting of the American Chemistry

Society.

Rolsky would like to see manufacturers of contact lens provide labelling on every package stating not only that disposable lenses be included with regular trash if recycling is not available, but also explaining what not to do.

The problem of improper disposal can be avoided easily with sufficient advertising, package labelling, take-home instructions from surgeons who perform cataract procedures as well as notes for proper disposal.

Thanks to these researchers, the following are a few suggestions on how individuals can help solve this environmental issue:

Explain the pollution issue to your friends who wear contact lenses.

Post contact lens disposal information on social media.

Visit local optometrists and ask them, if they have not already done so, to have posters created to highlight the hazards of flushing contact lenses into the sewage system. You also can urge manufacturers to highlight safe disposal instructions on printed literature and packaging.

Plastic pollination in our watersheds has become a grave issue. Faced with the accumulation of contact lenses in the ocean, citizens and corporations can solve this growing problem with more public education.

Brad Lyrette of Lyrette Opticians in Elliot Lake states, “I would just like to encourage the preservation of our environment by explaining proper contact lens disposal by not flushing them away. Rather, simply discard them into a waste basket.”larraine writes children’s illustrated adventure books on composting and pollinating. Visit: castlecompost.com .