If you’ve been wearing glasses for many years, you likely have a sizable stash of old prescription glasses tucked into a drawer or closet. Wearing the glasses isn’t really an option if you’ve outgrown the prescription. And yet, throwing the glasses away may also feel inappropriate considering the money you spent on them, the essential role they played in your daily life, and their style — whether they’re trendy and fashionable, stylishly retro, or simple and classic. So, let’s explore what to do with old prescription glasses.
Making Good Use of Your Old Specs
Wondering what to do with old prescription glasses? We’ve got a few ideas . . .
Donate them.
If your old glasses are still in good condition, you may be able to donate them to a good cause. The Lions Club has been running a popular eyeglass recycling program for many years. In fact, since 1925, the organization has been working to combat vision impairment and blindness. You can donate to their program in a few different ways:
- Heffington’s Optiland and Heffington’s House of Vision both accept donations of old glasses. We have a partnership with Lions Clubs International.
- Your Local Lions Club: Some local Lions Clubs collect eyeglasses. Use the Club Locator to find your nearest club. Then, give them a call or send them a message online to see if they accept eyeglass donations.
- Lions Eyeglasses Recycling Centers (LERC): If you don’t live near Heffington’s or a local Lions Club that accepts eyeglass donations, you can send them to your nearest LERC.
The Lions Club isn’t your only option. You could also look into ReSpectable, a nonprofit that redistributes high-quality used glasses to underserved communities worldwide. Simply send your glasses to ReSpectable, and they’ll add them to their website. Easy peasy!
Before donating your glasses, be sure to clean them and check that they’re in good working order. Inspect them for damage and missing parts. Only clean, undamaged glasses should be donated.
Pop out the lenses and use them for a costume.
Halloween is right around the corner! If you know someone who needs glasses for their costume, you could pop out the lenses of an old pair of yours for them to use. Countless iconic characters wear glasses, from Harry Potter, Edna Mode (from The Incredibles), and Scooby-Doo’s Velma to Clark Kent (a.k.a. Superman), Waldo (of Where’s Waldo? fame), and Dwight Shrute.
Sell them online.
If you have a stylish pair of high-quality glasses, you may be able to sell them online. You could put them up for sale on a website like eBay or Facebook Marketplace. Fair warning, though — the vast majority of used glasses aren’t worth very much, and you may have a hard time finding a buyer.
A Note on Recycling
You might be tempted to simply toss your old glasses in the recycling bin. However, glasses contain a wide variety of materials that make recycling challenging. The frame might be made of metal or plastic, the lenses are likely plastic, and there are various small components like screws and nose pads made of other materials. Although metal and plastic are both technically recyclable in some circumstances, it’s highly unlikely that your glasses can be fully recycled. If you toss them in a recycling bin, they’ll likely end up in a landfill instead. For this reason, it’s best to go with another option.
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Just because you no longer need a pair of glasses, that doesn’t mean you should throw them in the trash. You can discard your old glasses responsibly and perhaps even help a good cause in the process.
But enough about old glasses! Are you due for a new pair of glasses? If you live near southwest Missouri, contact Heffington’s.
Since 1975, the Heffington family has been assisting the Springfield community with top-quality eye care and affordable eyeglasses and contacts. One of the unique features of our family-owned business is that we manufacture lenses at our own laboratory, giving us total control over the service and pricing, and we’re happy to pass our savings on to you. To learn more about our products and services, please get in touch with us online, send an email to asktheexperts@heffingtons.com, or give us a call at 417-869-3937 (Optiland location) or 417-882-3937 (House of Vision location). We look forward to hearing from you!