What to do with your old eyeglasses?

What should you do with your old glasses if they break or you need to replaced them with a new pair?

How about upcycling and helping someone in need?

But first, What not to do with your old eyeglasses.

As eyeglasses can't be recycled in your household recycling bin, and you want them to stay in a landfill, why not donate them?

Please do not dispose of your old glasses in regular household waste; instead, recycle them to avoid contributing to landfill waste. Plastic will take decades to decompose, creating microplastics and adding toxic chemicals to the soil.

If you are looking for ways to give your spectacles a new life, check out these options below. You can make a huge difference in someone's life while giving your old glasses a new purpose - from recycling to finding a new home for them.

Nearly half of Australians wear glasses or contact lenses, so likely, you or someone you know does too. If that's the case, consider recycling or upcycling your old glasses instead of throwing them away.

There are many benefits of recycling or upcycling old eyeglasses and sunglasses.

Giving someone who cannot afford glasses can be a great way to help them and reduce waste.

Learn how to recycle your old glasses in these easy ways.

#1 Donate to a reuse/recycle program

Glasses can be donated to the Lions Organisation's Recycle For Sight program. They send over 450,000 pairs of glasses to developing countries every year. Over the past 26 years, the Australian program has delivered more than 7 million pairs of refurbished high-quality spectacles to men, women, and children in need across various regions, including Africa, Europe, Middle East, Indian Sub-continent, East Asia, Far East, China, the countries of the Pacific Rim, Southern Asia, and Oceania. In the last decade, some members of the Marine Branch have used their oceangoing yachts to reach and test villagers in the remotest areas for eyesight and provide them with spectacles.

The Recycle for Sight program requests that glass cases not be sent. Instead, please wrap them in bubble wrap or a padded bag before posting them.

For further information, go to Lions Organisation's Recycle For Sight program. Alternatively, you can drop off your glasses at your local HCF branch, which will then be forwarded to Lions Recycle for Sight.

You can recycle your old glasses at your local Specsavers store by placing them in the glasses recycling box or handing them to a team member.

#2 Gift them to a friend

Or why not or gifting them to a family member or friend?

These days, the idea of Hand-me-downs is often overlooked or thought a bit odd, but take the time to explain to your family or friends why reusing is the way to go.

#3 Sell your Sunglasses or Eyeglasses online

Keep your old sunglasses or eyeglasses from gathering dust in a drawer. Instead, please give them a new lease on life by selling them online.

Not only will you clear up some space, but you'll also be helping someone else enjoy a stylish accessory while being eco-friendly.

You can participate in the circular economy by selling your glasses locally on websites like Gumtree or consider using a website like Freecycle. On this platform, you can connect with others who share your values and are actively trying to become more conscious consumers.

#3 Repair your glasses

It's possible to repair glasses for a fraction of the cost of buying new ones, whether it's a scratched lens, dented frame, or missing screw.

Purchase a screwdriver from an optician or online. These often come in repair kits, specifically for eyeglasses with small screwdrivers; make sure you order either a phillips head or standard screwdriver to suit the screw in your glasses.

If you want to fix your glasses yourself, many helpful videos are on Youtube. However, if you don't have enough time, you can always get them repaired by a professional. If your glasses bridge has snapped, don't worry. All you need is glue and paper to fix them, as WikiHow explains.

#4 Replace the lenses on your frames

An easy one is to replace the lenses if they are damaged or need upgrading to a new prescription. Most eyeglass outlets will replace the lenses in your existing frames, a great way to reduce waste and save you money.