How Contact Lens Brands Are Addressing Environmental Impact Through Sustainable Practices

More than 50 million American adults report having some form of vision impairment, which can be corrected by prescription eyewear like contact lenses. Contact lenses are more convenient to wear as they are placed directly on the eye’s surface, and about 16.7% of the adult population uses them for clear, unobstructed vision.

However, due to their environmental impact, contact lens usage has raised concerns throughout the years. Contact lenses are typically manufactured with and packaged in plastic materials, thus contributing to operational emissions and microplastic waste.

Below, we look closely at the environmental, health, and safety concerns in the contact lens industry, and how this significant impact has compelled companies and manufacturers to strive for sustainability while still maintaining product quality and customer satisfaction.

The environmental impact of contact lenses

As the contact lens industry evolved and started utilizing plastic to offer wearers greater comfort and convenience, it has also highlighted how producing, packaging, and disposing of contact lenses can create a substantial environmental footprint. Contact lens manufacturing processes use significant water, energy, chemicals, and packaging, thus producing carbon emissions.

Furthermore, the previously linked study in the journal Environmental Science & Technology found that plastic lenses can shed microplastics, which typically do not decompose with standard microbial treatment and instead pollute the waterways. The study found that contact lenses can shed more than 90,000 microparticles per year if worn for at least ten hours a day through an automated method that can quickly detect and count microparticles in small samples.

At a population level, research shows that an estimated 2.5 billion used contact lenses, whether flushed down in toilets or discarded in sinks, can account for about 44,000 pounds of waste entering treatment plants. Beyond the lenses themselves, blister packs and foil tops can also contribute to the environmental impact of used contact lenses, which is nearly 0.5% of total environmental waste.

Such figures highlight the growing need for sustainability in the contact lens industry. The practices in the following section are prime examples of reevaluating manufacturing, packaging, distribution, and disposal approaches.

Growing sustainable practices in the contact lens industry

Reusable options

Considering 46.7% of contact lens prescriptions are for daily disposable lenses, these types of lenses account for a significant portion of non-biodegradable plastic waste. Thus, companies have started offering reusable options to minimize the waste generated by contact lens use and align with consumers’ demand for more sustainable products.

Vision Direct’s selection of contact lenses shows how top brands like Dailies, Biofinity, and Acuvue Oasys provide not only daily disposables but also replacement lenses with biweekly and monthly wear times. While these lenses are still made of plastic, the specific material used, silicone hydrogel, is more durable and suited for extended wear. The retailer itself also encourages long-term use of replacement lenses through easy re-orders and automatic order reminders.

Net plastic neutrality

Another way contact lens companies can commit to more environmentally conscious practices is by implementing net plastic neutrality, which essentially means offsetting every unit of plastic waste generated. Such initiatives are exemplified by CooperVision, which pioneered the first certified net plastic neutral contact lenses, the clariti 1-day contact lenses.

These lenses are sustainably manufactured, using 95% of recycled materials during lens production. Consumers can actively take part in achieving net plastic neutrality, as every purchase of the clariti 1-day and MyDay contact lenses means CooperVision will collect and convert an equivalent amount of ocean-bound plastic waste. This global initiative is in partnership with Plastic Bank, an organization that collects, processes, and reuses collected ocean-bound plastic waste in 27 countries.

Eye care recycling programs

Meanwhile, Bausch + Lomb, another key player in the contact lens industry, implements sustainable practices through its dedicated eye care recycling programs. Specifically, the ONE by ONE and Biotrue Eye Care Recycling programs support the global company’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives by recycling and repurposing packaging waste from used contact lenses and other eye and lens care materials.

As of 2024, the programs have collected over 84 million units or over 500,000 pounds of contact lens waste. In partnership with the recycling and waste management organization TerraCycle, Bausch + Lomb enables contact lens wearers to return their lens recyclables back to eye care practitioners so that the materials can be repurposed into plastic pellets used for products like park benches, picnic tables, and lawn furniture.

Shift to digital marketing

Lastly, a previous post on sustainable marketing practices has noted that shifting to digital marketing not only helps companies save money on physical resources but also reduces waste generated by traditional marketing paraphernalia like posters and flyers.

In this case, contact lens company Acuvue promotes its eye health awareness campaign on digital platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, with the goal of encouraging Gen Z youth to boost their eye health and mental wellness through reduced screen time. By utilizing social media for product marketing and consumer awareness campaigns, companies and brands can maximize resources while also effectively reaching their target audiences.

In summary, key sustainable practices that aim to reduce the environmental impact of contact lenses include biweekly and monthly replacement options, net plastic-neutral products, eye care recycling and repurposing programs, and digital marketing practices.