Contact Lenses are a Surprising Source of Pollution

[pixy0stix]

www.scientificamerican.com/article/contact-lenses-are-a-surprising-source-of-pollution/

Every year, Americans flush 2.6 to 2.9 billion contact lenses down the drain, according to new research from Arizona State University. By tallying this detritus and studying how it persists in this environment, the study provides the first estimate of the potential burden of these tiny plastics, or microplastics.


“There’s been a lot of research done on single-use, lower-value plastics such as straws, silverware and plastic bags,” says Charles Rolsky, an ASU doctoral student and the study’s lead author. Yet no one has yet looked at how these everyday medical devices may contribute to pollution in our soil and waterways, he says.

[pixy0stix]

When I was wearing contacts I didn't think twice about flushing them. That being said, I haven't worn contacts for at least 10 years.

[debatethis]

I got an eye infection and haven't worn contacts in about a year, but it never once crossed my mind to flush them down the toilet.

[snshne322]

Interesting. I throw mine in the trash. I do worry about the contact packaging. It says they're recyclable, but I wonder if it falls the way of straw and the like. Google tells me that there may be recycling programs from the manufacturer for the blister packs. I'll have to look into that.

[redheadbaker]

It never occurred to me to flush the contacts. I put them in the trash. I do place the blister packs in the recycling. Our bathroom in our apartment is right off the kitchen.

[penguingrrl]

That makes a lot of sense. I’ve been wearing contacts for 20 years and have occasionally wondered at the environmental impact of them. I wear 2 week disposables and often forget to switch at the 2 week mark, which must be better than dailies. And flushing definitely never occurred to me, I put them in the trash.

[sparrowsong]

Interesting. I’ve never observed a patient putting a lens down the drain (on purpose anyway) and it never occurred to me to ask what they do at home.

It’s true B&L does provide a recycling program. We’ve got a box that we dispose all our expired trials in. Patients can bring their packaging but I don’t know that that anyone ever does.

As manufacturering costs come down more and more people are using daily disposable. Patients like the comfort of them. Docs like them because compliance is better and treated cl-related eye infections is almost eliminated. But definitely more packaging waste. I know the doctor in Boulder has patient resistant to dailies for that reason. Good ol eco-friendly boulderites.

In Europe the market is almost 80% dailies and cl reps are always telling me they predict the us will be too eventually.

[tacokick]

Is it surprising? I didn’t know people flushed them but they do generate so much trash between the actual lens and the packaging.

I wear gas permeable lens and they last 2+ years and come in a recyclable and reusable case.

[pantsparty]

I've never washed my lenses down the drain. I have monthlies; I'm too cheap for dailies.

[mich1]

I wear hard gas permeable, a single pair of lenses can last me 2 years or more if I don’t damage them. So in the nearly 50 years of wearing contacts, I’ve probably tossed no more than 40 pair.

[Deleted]

I wore contacts for a bit, but honestly I just found them to be too much hassle. I still have some I could bust out for something like swimming if I wanted, but I think I'll be a glasses wearer for life.

Once again, I can justify laziness in the name of being eco-friendly.

[smock]

Am I the only one with no interest in dailies? That just seems like a lot of work. Like I have to find somewhere to store all those boxes and open something new every day? Lazy contact lens wears unite.

[eddy]

I also have never considered flushing them. I am always surprised in general the stuff people flush down the toilet lol.

[aliciabella]

Aug 20, 2018 12:33:06 GMT -5 mich1 said:

I wear hard gas permeable, a single pair of lenses can last me 2 years or more if I don’t damage them. So in the nearly 50 years of wearing contacts, I’ve probably tossed no more than 40 pair.

Really? Wow. I never knew these existed in this capacity. Are these the hard contacts?

[eddy]

Aug 20, 2018 12:45:48 GMT -5 smock said:

Am I the only one with no interest in dailies? That just seems like a lot of work. Like I have to find somewhere to store all those boxes and open something new every day? Lazy contact lens wears unite.

In fact I wonder why people use them? Is there a medical condition that requires them?

I have terrible vision (-7.0) and don’t like to wear glasses. I do use monthly contacts though.

[ESF]

I have never flushed, but I have rinsed them down the drain before. This is a good reminder to stop doing that.

I was a regular contact wearer in college and for a few years after, but my eyes started to get dryer as I got older, and I increasingly found them too uncomfortable, and started to wear glasses more and more. I was always wearing contacts when I went to the gym and was outside for long periods of time and needed sunglasses, so at least a few days a week for a few hours. Eventually, the doctor recommended I try dailies, which are the only kind that don't make me want to scratch my eyeballs off after an hour of wear. The amount of packaging, however, is so disturbing. So I stopped wearing them to the gym, and I invested in prescription sunglasses. Now I really only use them for beach vacations (need them for snorkeling and water sports), the occasional night out when I feel like glamming up my eye makeup, or events when I think I'll be inside/outside all day long and don't feel like switching pairs all day. A box of 30 pairs lasts me about a year and a half.

[sugarglider]

Aug 20, 2018 12:45:48 GMT -5 smock said:

Am I the only one with no interest in dailies? That just seems like a lot of work. Like I have to find somewhere to store all those boxes and open something new every day? Lazy contact lens wears unite.

I love dailies. I’m definitely lazy, and dailies work well with my laziness for example, if I go to bed without taking my contacts out first, I can take them out before going to sleep without getting up. And then I throw them in the trash in the morning. I also don’t have to bother with keeping solution stocked. And a year’s work of dailies easily fits until the bathroom sink.

I think I have flushed them once or twice... but I typically throw them away.

[msmerymac]

Aug 20, 2018 12:45:48 GMT -5 smock said:

Am I the only one with no interest in dailies? That just seems like a lot of work. Like I have to find somewhere to store all those boxes and open something new every day? Lazy contact lens wears unite.

That and the cost. My doc is pretty big on making sure I change on the same day each month, but hey, if I go a week over, then no biggie, IMO. But that week is $$ when it comes to dailies, I assume!

[sugarglider]

Aug 20, 2018 12:52:05 GMT -5 eddy said:

Aug 20, 2018 12:45:48 GMT -5 smock said:

Am I the only one with no interest in dailies? That just seems like a lot of work. Like I have to find somewhere to store all those boxes and open something new every day? Lazy contact lens wears unite.

In fact I wonder why people use them? Is there a medical condition that requires them?

I have terrible vision (-7.0) and don’t like to wear glasses. I do use monthly contacts though.

They’re a lot more comfortable than 2-week disposables and I think the risk of eye infections is reduced.

[oregonpachey]

Not related to environment issues. For those who wear the monthlies, please make sure you are removing them each night even if they are the type you can sleep in. I had constant infections and viruses in my eyes that I had to stop wearing contacts completely.

[InBetweenDays]

Aug 20, 2018 12:52:05 GMT -5 eddy said:

Aug 20, 2018 12:45:48 GMT -5 smock said:

Am I the only one with no interest in dailies? That just seems like a lot of work. Like I have to find somewhere to store all those boxes and open something new every day? Lazy contact lens wears unite.

In fact I wonder why people use them? Is there a medical condition that requires them?

I have terrible vision (-7.0) and don’t like to wear glasses. I do use monthly contacts though.

I have to wear dailies. I have dry eyes and wearing anything other than dailies led to me having dry patches and scratches. I once even got a corneal ulcer. We tried many different ointments and drops, but nothing helped. My eye doctor said if I wanted to continue wearing contacts I'd need to switch to dailies.

[wawa]

Aug 20, 2018 12:41:00 GMT -5 @angryharpy said:

I wore contacts for a bit, but honestly I just found them to be too much hassle. I still have some I could bust out for something like swimming if I wanted, but I think I'll be a glasses wearer for life.

Once again, I can justify laziness in the name of being eco-friendly.

*fist bump*

Though riding my bike in the pouring rain on sunday I wished I had contacts.  
My glasses were covered in rain drops (which wasn't sooo bad) but they'd also fog up every time I looked down to check the route cue sheet.  fail.

[jigsy]

I love dailies - they are far more convient and comfortable. I started wearing them when I was dating someone and wanted to be able to spend the night without bringing a case and solution. But, yes, it is a lot of waste. I am going to start throwing the packaging in the recycling.

[badgergrl]

Aug 20, 2018 12:59:58 GMT -5 sugarglider said:

Aug 20, 2018 12:52:05 GMT -5 eddy said:

In fact I wonder why people use them? Is there a medical condition that requires them?

I have terrible vision (-7.0) and don’t like to wear glasses. I do use monthly contacts though.

They’re a lot more comfortable than 2-week disposables and I think the risk of eye infections is reduced.

I wore one month disposables for 15 years.
Two years ago my eyes were red and blood shot all the time. I looked terrible. I switched to dalies and they have solved my eye issues. But I do I feel bad about the amount of garbage they generate.

[kadams767]

Aug 20, 2018 13:24:57 GMT -5 wawa said:

Aug 20, 2018 12:41:00 GMT -5 @angryharpy said:

I wore contacts for a bit, but honestly I just found them to be too much hassle. I still have some I could bust out for something like swimming if I wanted, but I think I'll be a glasses wearer for life.

Once again, I can justify laziness in the name of being eco-friendly.

*fist bump*

Though riding my bike in the pouring rain on sunday I wished I had contacts.  
My glasses were covered in rain drops (which wasn't sooo bad) but they'd also fog up every time I looked down to check the route cue sheet.  fail.

Athletic ventures are basically the only time I wear my contacts.  Once in awhile, I will throw them in for a night out like a wedding or fancy event as well.  I don't love wearing them, but they are so much more convenient for sports.  Riding with my glasses in the rain is a special form of hell for me.   

[lightbulbsun]

Aug 20, 2018 12:52:05 GMT -5 eddy said:

Aug 20, 2018 12:45:48 GMT -5 smock said:

Am I the only one with no interest in dailies? That just seems like a lot of work. Like I have to find somewhere to store all those boxes and open something new every day? Lazy contact lens wears unite.

In fact I wonder why people use them? Is there a medical condition that requires them?

I have terrible vision (-7.0) and don’t like to wear glasses. I do use monthly contacts though.

I had to switch from 2 week lenses to dailies because my eyes were super dry and my contacts would feel gritty/foggy within an hour of putting them in.  I always felt guilty using something so disposable, but when I wore glasses I got headaches.  I finally got Lasik last year and wish I would have done it sooner.

[chilerellanos]

My eye doctor said I was developing an allergy and dailies would fix it, and if I wanted to continue to wear contacts, I had to switch.

I switched years ago and he said my eyes are healthier than when he started with me.

[InBetweenDays]

Aug 20, 2018 13:34:10 GMT -5 jigsy said:

I love dailies - they are far more convient and comfortable. I started wearing them when I was dating someone and wanted to be able to spend the night without bringing a case and solution. But, yes, it is a lot of waste. I am going to start throwing the packaging in the recycling.

Check to make sure your municipal recycling program accepts these. Sounds like most of the programs are mail in or drop off. So you could collect them at home and mail them in to Bausch + Lomb or find an office near you that accepts them.

[TR]

Oh man, I always rinsed my contacts down the drain. I never really thought about it, that’s shameful. I got LASIK in February so at least I can’t be an idiot anymore. Well, about that.

[goldengirlz]

Aug 20, 2018 12:45:48 GMT -5 smock said:

Am I the only one with no interest in dailies? That just seems like a lot of work. Like I have to find somewhere to store all those boxes and open something new every day? Lazy contact lens wears unite.

That’s what I thought before I was told that I needed the dailies because they would help with dry eye and neovascularizarion (basically new blood vessel growth in your eyes from long-term use.)

I have a small house with minimal storage space AND I travel a ton but it really hasn’t been that big of a deal. It’s become my new normal.

I do have concern about both the environmental impact as well as the health impact. I wear glasses much more often than I used to but there are still certain situations where contacts are just easier and better for my lifestyle.