How to Recycle Daily Contact Lenses in Australia (Without the Guesswork)

How to Recycle Daily Contact Lenses in Australia (Without the Guesswork)

Daily disposables are hard to beat for convenience. You pop in a fresh pair each morning, bin them at night, and there's no cleaning or cases to deal with.

If you wear dailies most days, though, the empty blister packs, foil lids and cardboard boxes pile up quickly. Data from Opticycle estimates between 250 to 500 million disposable contact lens cases are discarded each year by Australian consumers, with daily, single-use plastic lens cases making up the largest portion of that waste.

The good news is that most of it can be kept out of landfill. You just need to know which bit goes where.

Why Blister Packs Can't Go in Your Yellow-Lid Bin

Contact lens blister packs are made from polypropylene plastic and aluminium foil. Both are recyclable materials, but Opticycle notes that the packs pose difficulties for conventional recycling systems due to their size and composite material structure. Because they're tiny and made from two materials stuck together, standard recycling facilities can't process them.

So even though your instinct might be to toss them in with your other plastics, they need a specialist route.

Where to Recycle Blister Packs in Australia

Opticycle is Australia's specialist optical recycling program, and it takes blister packs from any contact lens brand. There are two ways to use it.

Drop them off

Opticycle partners with optometrists, pharmacies and retailers around the country that host collection boxes. Use the Opticycle location finder to find a drop-off point near you, and check it before you head out, as participating locations can change.

Post them from home

No drop-off point nearby? Opticycle sells a Contact Lens Case Recycling Satchel. It's listed at $34.95 AUD, holds 300–350 contact lens cases, and comes with prepaid return postage, so when it's full you simply seal it and drop it in your local post box. Opticycle refers to disposable blister packs as "contact lens cases". 

Since each lens comes in its own blister, a daily wearer uses two packs a day, which means one satchel holds roughly five to six months' worth. Check availability on Opticycle's site before ordering.

The satchel doesn't accept cardboard packaging, used contact lenses or plastic bags, so keep those out.

Can You Recycle the Lenses Themselves?

Not through Opticycle, which doesn't accept used lenses. For most people, used lenses go in the general waste bin.

If you'd like to recycle the lenses too, the option is TerraCycle's Contact Lenses and Packaging Zero Waste Box. It accepts any brand and prescription of contact lenses, plastic film, pods and cardboard packaging, but not contact lens solution bottles. Boxes ship free with a prepaid return label, and you send them back via Australia Post. 

This is a paid service, and pricing varies by box size, so check TerraCycle's site for the current price. It tends to suit households collecting over a long period, or workplaces and organisations collecting larger volumes.

A note if you've read older articles: you may see mentions of a free Bausch + Lomb recycling program run through TerraCycle. That program ended on 28 February 2021. 

Never Flush Contact Lenses

Whatever you do with your used lenses, don't flush them or rinse them down the sink. Contact lenses are made from polymer materials designed to stay intact on your eye, so they don't dissolve in water. Put them in general waste or a program that accepts lenses, and keep them out of our wastewater systems.

The Cardboard Box

Easy. Flatten it and put it in your household recycling. Kerbside rules vary between councils, so check your local council's guidelines if you're unsure.

Do You Need to Separate the Foil From the Plastic?

No. Just remove the lens, tip out any leftover solution and drop the whole pack into your collection. Opticycle does the separating.

What Happens to Your Blister Packs?

Each box or bag Opticycle receives is checked in and weighed, then emptied onto a sorting table for a visual quality control check, with any contamination removed. The packs are broken down into fine particles, then an air-density and electrostatic separation process splits the plastic from the aluminium. 

All recycling is carried out at Opticycle's facility in Silverwater, NSW, and the recovered materials have been repurposed into building products such as plastic fence posts, wheel stops and steel. 

Are Dailies Worse for the Environment Than Reusable Lenses?

Dailies do create more individual lenses and blister packs. Reusable lenses mean fewer lenses, but they come with their own waste, including solution bottles and storage cases. So you can't judge the impact just by counting lenses.

More importantly, your lens choice should come down to your prescription, fit, eye health and the replacement schedule recommended for that lens. If you've been prescribed daily contact lenses, don't switch to fortnightly or monthly lenses just to cut down on packaging. If you're curious about a different schedule, have a chat with your optometrist first.

Easy Ways to Cut Down on Waste

• Keep a jar or small container at home for empty blister packs.
• Remove the lens and leftover solution before adding a pack.
• Drop off a batch at a collection point, or post an Opticycle satchel when it's full.
• Put clean cardboard boxes in your yellow-lid bin.
• Stick to your replacement schedule so lenses aren't thrown out early.
• Double-check your prescription when ordering so you don't end up with lenses you can't use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can contact lenses go in the recycling bin in Australia?
No. They're too small for kerbside recycling. Put them in general waste, or use TerraCycle's paid Zero Waste Box.

Can blister packs go in the yellow-lid bin?
No. They're too small and made of mixed materials. Use a specialist program like Opticycle.

Where can I drop off blister packs near me?
Use Opticycle's location finder to see current collection points around Australia. If there's nothing nearby, Opticycle's home satchel lets you post them instead.

How much does it cost to recycle from home?
Opticycle's satchel is listed at $34.95 with prepaid return postage. TerraCycle's box also takes the lenses themselves; check its site for current pricing.

Is there a free contact lens recycling program in Australia?
Opticycle's participating collection points let you drop off blister packs. The free Bausch + Lomb and TerraCycle program closed in 2021.

Do I need to separate the foil from the plastic?
No. Remove the lens and any leftover solution, and Opticycle's process takes care of the rest.

Can I flush contact lenses down the toilet?
No. Put used lenses in general waste or a program that accepts lenses.

Should I switch from dailies to monthlies to reduce waste?
Not without talking to your optometrist. Lens types differ in materials, fit and care requirements.

Sources:

1. Opticycle, Disposable Contact Lens Recycling: https://www.opticycle.com.au/our-solutions/disposable-contact-lens-recycling
2. Opticycle, Our Solutions: https://www.opticycle.com.au/our-solutions
3. Opticycle, About Us: https://www.opticycle.com.au/about-us
4. Opticycle, Contact Lens Case Recycling Satchel: https://opticycle.com.au/product/contact-lens-case-recycling-satchel
5. Opticycle, Find Locations: https://www.opticycle.com.au/locations
6. Optometry Australia, Opticycle – an easy recycling solution for optometry in Australia (2024): https://www.optometry.org.au/general_news/opticycle-an-easy-recycling-solution-for-optometry-in-australia/
7. Packaging Insights, Australian pharmacy launches contact lens blister recycling trial with Opticycle: https://www.packaginginsights.com/news/contact-lens-recycling-trial.html
8. TerraCycle Australia, Contact Lenses and Packaging Zero Waste Box: https://shop.terracycle.com/en-AU/products/contact-lens-packaging-zero-waste-box
9. TerraCycle ANZ, Update on the Bausch + Lomb Recycling Programme (2021): https://terracycleanz.blog/2021/01/29/update-on-the-bausch-lomb-recycling-programme/