Which is greener: Contact Lenses or Glasses?
Posted by Lisa Carey
Some people debate on which came first, the chicken or the egg. Others debate if over or under uses less toilet paper. If you’re a debater, let’s decide which is greener: glasses or contacts?
Do you wear contacts? If so, are they the disposable variety? If they are, how often do you throw them out and get new ones? Everything adds up. That’s what most of us have a tendency to forget sometimes. One easy thing to overlook is packaging material, especially for small products.
Same thing goes for glasses, how often do you replace them? When you replace them, do you always replace both the frame and the lenses?
Now that I’m thinking about it, this is a really silly debate to be having. Why? Because if you wear contacts, then you probably also have a pair of glasses. In fact, I don’t know any contact wearer who does not also own a pair of glasses.
I do, however, know several people who only wear glasses, and not contacts.
I think that’s our answer. The greenest choice is to only have glasses.
But, I wear contacts. And I also have a pair of glasses.
However, my contacts are gas permeable, and I only need to replace them once every 4 years. I do need contact solution though. I go through a 3 ounce bottle every six weeks. This bottle comes with a cardboard box, and a paper instruction insert. All of this packaging is recyclable.
My glasses are 5 years old. But, I’m getting ready to replace them. When I replace my glasses, my old glasses will be donated. I’ve had the same case for 10 years. When I do get new glasses, I am going to get Teklite lenses.
Teklite is going green by donating the scrap plastic for secondary uses. Teklite also packages their products in recycled (and recyclable material), plants a tree for each order placed, uses less water during production of their lenses. They do a variety of things in the production of their lenses to be more environmentally friendly.
Want to learn more about Teklite environmentally friendly eyeglass lenses? Click here.
As in all things, the answer is to just be smart. Be aware of what you use and what you have. Keep in mind that you will always produce more waste if you wear daily disposable contacts than if you wear bi-weekly, monthly, or gas permeable.
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Carrie,
Thank you for your article. I have been wearing contact lenses (hard) since 1968. For probably 20 years in the middle, I did not own a pair of glasses.
I find glasses to be more expensive in the long run as my contacts last about 10 years. You are correct in stating each has its own issues.
The greatest waste is from those who for vanity have multiple pairs of glasses as well as contacts.