Your Old Eyeglasses Can Help Others See

Do your old eyeglasses get tossed in a drawer and forgotten after you get a new pair? As reported by Earth911.com, the World Health Organization estimates that approximately 44% of the population in developing nations need glasses but don’t have access to them. Without the necessary lenses, correctable conditions such as far-sightedness and astigmatism keep many children and adults from reading, learning, and working. Put your retired spectacles to good use by donating them. Lions Clubs International has been collecting and recycling used eyeglasses for nearly a hundred years. To get your glasses to the Lions, mail them to: Lions Clubs International, Attention: Receiving Department, 300 W. 22nd Street, Oak Brook, IL 60523. (Check packaging guidelines first.)

Or, find local outlets where glasses are collected for distribution by the non-profit group OneSight. The foundation estimates it needs to collect and recycle 1.2 million pairs of used eyewear annually to support 20 global clinics.