Lions collect about 30 million used eyeglasses annually. By organizing an eyeglass recycling program in your community, you are joining Lions worldwide in the fight to prevent blindness, improve eye health and provide eye care for those in need.
The Need for Glasses
There is a great need for glasses across the globe. According to World Health Organization statistics, 157 million people with poor eyesight in the world do not have access to the necessary eye care. Their vision could be easily corrected with used, usable eyeglasses – helping to improve their opportunities for education, employment and a better quality of life.
How the Eyeglass Recycling Process Works
Lions collect used eyeglasses all over their community, and then ship them to a Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center, where trained volunteers sort the glasses, clean them and determine the eyeglasses’ prescription strengths. These glasses are given to those in need at eyeglass-dispensing missions in developing nations, where Lions and eye care professionals perform vision screenings and provide eyeglasses free of charge. In this video, you'll see how people received eye care and used eyeglasses at the Lions Comprehensive Sight Mission in Honduras.
http://youtu.be/bx7nC_JJb-8
How to Get Started
To start the eyeglass collection process, your club should appoint a Lions Eyeglass Collections Coordinator. In addition, Lions must obtain permission from participating community businesses, schools and organizations before placing recycling boxes in designated locations.
Community Locations for Eyeglass Recycling Boxes
Recycling boxes may be placed in various community locations, including:
- City administration center
- Coffee shops and restaurants
- Colleges and universities
- Dry cleaners
- Elementary and high schools
- Funeral homes
- Lasik surgery offices
- Libraries
- Department stores
- Grocery stores
- Ophthalmologists’ offices
- Optometrists’ offices
- Pharmacies
- Places of worship
- Shopping malls
- Banks
For more information, visit the LCI Eyeglass Recycling and Recycle for Sight Resources pages.