A number of opticians' offices across the country are now offering a free recycling program for contact lens wearers. Eyecare provider Bausch and Lomb launched the Every Contact Counts Recycling program in collaboration with recycling company Terracycle. According to Terracycle, more than 290 million contact lenses end up in Canadian landfills and waterways each year. Consumers can drop off their used contact lenses at one of the four opticians' offices offering the program in Simcoe County. Here's a list of available locations in the Barrie and Orillia area:

•  IRIS Big Bay Barrie, 350 Big Bay Point Rd, Barrie
•  Anne Street Optometry, 353 Anne St N, Barrie
•  Barrie Eye Care, 680 Veterans Dr, Barrie
•  Orillia Optometry, 390 Laclie St, Orillia

More information about the program can be found here.  

(PRESS RELEASE) LAVAL, QC — Bausch + Lomb, a leading global eye health business of Bausch Health Cos. Inc., announced that its ONE by ONE Recycling program has recycled nearly 27 million used contact lenses, top foils and blister packs since launching in November 2016. The program, made possible through a collaboration with TerraCycle, a leader in the collection and repurposing of hard-to-recycle post-consumer waste, has diverted more than 162,000 pounds of contact lens waste from oceans, lakes, streams and landfills. (PRESS RELEASE) LAVAL, QC — Bausch + Lomb, a leading global eye health business of Bausch Health Cos. Inc., announced that its ONE by ONE Recycling program has recycled nearly 27 million used contact lenses, top foils and blister packs since launching in November 2016. The program, made possible through a collaboration with TerraCycle, a leader in the collection and repurposing of hard-to-recycle post-consumer waste, has diverted more than 162,000 pounds of contact lens waste from oceans, lakes, streams and landfills. “At Bausch Health, we continuously evaluate all aspects of our company to identify ways that we can achieve a more sustainable and regenerative state, while reducing our overall environmental footprint,” said Amy Butler, vice president, Global Environment, Health, Safety + Sustainability, Bausch Health (NYSE/TSX: BHC). “We are proud to offer the ONE by ONE Recycling program to customers and contact lens wearers to help ensure these used materials do not end up in our environment.” Today, more than 5,500 optometry practices are registered with the ONE by ONE Recycling program. To participate, contact lens wearers can bring their used contact lenses and packaging to one of these offices, which collects the used lens materials in a custom recycling bin provided by Bausch + Lomb. Once the bin is filled, the optometry practice will ship the materials to TerraCycle for proper recycling using a pre-paid shipping label. “Millions of people wear contact lenses every day to help them see, but many do not realize the significant impact that these materials can have on the environment,” said Tom Szaky, founder and CEO, TerraCycle. “In just four years, we have recycled hundreds of thousands of these used materials, removing them from our environment, and instead using them to give back to the community. It is a program we’re proud to be part of and one we look forward to building upon in collaboration with Bausch + Lomb for years to come.” Additionally, for every 10 pounds of material received from the ONE by ONE Recycling Program, TerraCycle donates $10 to Optometry Giving Sight, an organization that funds programs that provide eye examinations and low-cost eyeglasses to people in need, including tens of millions of children with uncorrected myopia. In 2019, Bausch + Lomb took the program one step further by repurposing the recycled waste and combining it with other recycled material to create custom training modules that were donated to the Guide Dog Foundation, a national not-for-profit that trains guide dogs for people who are blind or visually impaired. The modules, which included benches, tables, waste stations and an agility ramp, are used to train the dogs and to further enhance the organization’s Smithtown, New York campus for those who visit. For more information on the Bausch + Lomb ONE by ONE Recycling Program, visit www.bauschrecycles.com.

The ugly truth about beauty products is that disposing of the detritus they create isn’t easy. For one thing, mascara tubes, foundation sponges and anything else that could be contaminated by microbes or bacteria is actually considered a biohazard, which means you shouldn’t even throw it in the regular garbage.   Beyond that, most cosmetic containers can’t be recycled, even if they’re made of plastic or glass. Blue bin guidelines generally “do not include any material that has liquids, and that can contaminate other materials in the bin,” says Ernel Simpson, a V.P. at TerraCycle, a New Jersey-based company that has branded itself the go-to for all things “unrecyclable.”   Luckily, TerraCycle offers a few beauty-disposal options. Empties from its partners—Burt’s Bees, Bausch + Lomb, DECIEM, eos, Gillette, Tom’s of Maine and Weleda—can be dropped off at those stores, or sent directly to the recycling company for free.         Devotees of other brands can purchase a Zero Waste Box, fill it up with cleaned out lotion bottles and lipgloss tubes, and send it over to the company for recycling. (There are also Zero Waste boxes for everything from plastic snack packaging to cigarette butts and used chewing gum.)   Here, a few other companies trying to help green your cosmetic disposal routine.       The beauty giant was thinking about recycling well before it was trendy. Its Back-to-M.A.C. program dates back to the 1980s: customers who bring in six empty M.A.C. makeup containers receive a free standard lipstick, lipgloss or small eyeshadow. The brand says it reuses more than 100,000 pounds of material in the U.S. and Canada each year, and anything that cannot be reused is incinerated at waste-to-energy facilities.         A partnership with TerraCycle makes L’Occitane a convenient drop-off hub: customers who bring in empty beauty containers from any brand receive 10 percent off during their store visit. The brand has also pledged that every single one of its bottles will be made of 100 per cent recycled plastic by 2025.       The eco-conscious company’s goal is to get naked—a bunch of its products, from shampoo to body lotion, are sold entirely packaging-free. Last year, customers bought two million shampoo bars, keeping millions of plastic bottles out of landfills or the ocean. Liquid products come in the brand’s signature black pots, made from 100 per cent recycled plastic. Customers who return five empty pots get a free face mask.         Another TerraCycle partner, the Body Shop’s Return. Recycle. Repeat. program collects empty packaging from any brand for recycling at all of its Canadian locations (excluding products marked flammable or hazardous, such as perfumes). Bonus: club members get $10 worth of points when they bring back five Body Shop brand containers. It also launched a program last May to buy plastic waste collected in Bengaluru, India, which is recycled into shampoo and conditioner bottles.         Everyone from B.C. to Manitoba can take advantage of this Western chain’s extensive recycling program, available at all of its stores. Makeup isn’t accepted, but small beauty appliances such as hair dryers and curling irons are, as is most packaging, like the hard plastic and Styrofoam that cradles products bought online, as well as batteries and lightbulbs. In the last 10 years, the Canadian retailer has recycled more than 113 million pounds of waste—enough to fill two container ships.  

The FDA approved the MiSight 1 day contact lens (CooperVision) to slow myopia progression in those ages 8 to 12. The daily wear, single-use lens corrects refractive errorto improve distance vision. In addition, concentric peripheral rings in the lens focus part of the light in front of the retina. “ . . . We [CooperVision] are learning from other countries in which MiSight is already prescribed to enable the best possible outcomes for the [U.S.] ECP,” says Michelle Andrews, O.D., the company’s senior director, North America Professional and Academic Affairs. FDA approval was based onthe results of a prospective three-year randomized, controlled clinical trial at four sites and real-world evidence, the government agency says. To start, the results of the clinical trial, comprised of 135 children ages 8 to 12, showed patients whowore the MiSight lens vs. a conventional soft lens had less myopia progression and axial length change for the full three years. Also, no serious ocular adverse events were reported in either group.(See https://bit.ly/37mfdTM.)   In regard to real-world evidence, the FDA found the rate of corneal ulcers in contact lens-wearing children was comparable to those of adult wearers. The MiSight lens’ U.S. launch  is March 2020, as part of a CooperVision myopia management initiative, the company says. Visit https://bit.ly/2NYYb6G. Alliances  

• PECAA announced a new program, “90 Days to Dry Eye,”developed in conjunction with Dry Eye University. The program walks participants through the process of building a dry eye profit center in just 90 days. Participating practices can expect to receive clinical dry eye education, staff training, vendor selection coaching, equipment recommendations, facility layout consultations, marketing and referral outreach strategies and more. For information, visit https://www.pecaa.com/dry-eye-education/.
• Vision Source hosted 39,000 visits to its online member event, the Virtual Exchange, which launched in 2016. The seven-day event enables Vision Source optometrist members to purchase ophthalmic equipment and products from vendors at “significantly discounted prices,” Vision Source says. In other news, Vision Source’s senior vice president of vendor relations has been appointed to the University of Houston System Board of Regents, an independent governing body overseeing the administration of education at the university.

  Associations  

• The World Optometry Foundation announced the recipients of the World Optometry Foundation Student Travel Fellowships. They include: Alvin Munsamy, BOptom, MOptom, from South Africa; Isaura Ilorena Dos Santos, BOptom, from Mozambique; Memoonna Arshad, MPhil from Australia; Nabeela Hasrod, BOptom, MPhil, from South Africa; and Nnenne Onu, O.D., MSc, from Nigeria.

  Companies  

• Aerie Pharmaceuticals has agreed to acquire Avizorex Pharma (AVX), a Spanish ophthalmic pharmaceutical company that develops therapeutics for the treatment of dry eye disease. The terms outline an all-cash transaction; Aerie will make an up-front payment of $10 million and AVX Pharma shareholders will be eligible to receive additional payments, for example from clinical and regulatory performance milestones.
• Bausch + Lomb, in collaboration with TerraCycle, donated custom training modules to the Guide Dog Foundation, a national not-for-profit that trains guide dogs for people who are blind or visually impaired. The training modules — including benches, tables, waste stations and an agility ramp — were made from used contact lens materials collected through the Bausch + Lomb One by One Recycling Program as well as other recycled material. The donation was funded through the Bausch Foundation.
• EyePoint Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced the appointment of George O. Elston as CFO and head of Corporate Development. Mr. Elston has previously been a consultant to the company and will now transition into this permanent role effective immediately.
•  Leo Lens Technology (LLT) announced that its drug delivery contact lens product was selected as a finalist in Connect w/ San Diego Venture Group’s (SDVG) Most Innovative New Product (MIP) Awards. Connect w/ SDVG is an innovation company accelerator in San Diego that creates and scales companies in the technology and life sciences sectors.According to LLT, it uses a patented platform technology to harness the power of high-tech digital printing to commercialize a drug-eluting, comfort-enhancing contact lens product. Its first product is a lens to treat glaucoma with contact lens-releasing FDA-approved bimatoprost.
•  MacuLogix Inc. has appointed Christine Silverberg, M.B.A., B.S.N., R.N., as director of national accounts, a role in which she will lead business development and partnerships across the industry.
• Marcolin Group has signed an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement for the design, production and distribution of sunglasses and eyeglass frames for BMW, BMW M and BMW M Motorsport labels. The agreement is effective for five years through December 2024.
•  NovaBay Pharmaceuticals announced the launch of NovaSight, an ocular nutritional supplement, on Amazon.com. The product is a companion to Avenova Direct, the company’s prescription-strength lid and lash spray.
• Thema Optical hosted Eastern Optical Research Group, a management organization of U.S. optical retailers, recently in Miami.
• Valley Contax recently held the Custom Stable Cup Challenge at Academy 2019 in Orlando. Current optometry students and alumni were encouraged to participate by visiting the Valley Contax booth where they partnered and fit the Custom Stable lens. First place was awarded to Michigan College of Optometry (MCO) at Ferris State University, which received two $500 scholarships and the Custom Stable Cup trophy. The second-place winner was SUNY College of Optometry, which was awarded a $500 scholarship. Five $100 gift cards were also awarded to Kaitlyn Arnold, MCO; Amalia Burrell, Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University; Makayla Porter, Southern College of Optometry; Elise Hoi, SUNY College of Optometry; and Inlanders Coulanges, École d'optométrie — Université de Montréal. Menicon, Contamac, Optovue, and TelScreen were also contributing sponsors, along with special support from the American Optometric Student Association.
• VSP Vision Care and the American Diabetes Association have launched a new collaboration regarding diabetic eye disease. The initiative will focus on the role annual comprehensive eye exams play in early detection, intervention and prevention of eye disease and vision loss caused by diabetes. It will launch in 2020 as part of the ADA’s Overcoming Therapeutic Inertia campaign.
• Warby Parker has launched its own brand of daily disposable contact lenses. Named Scout, the lenses are made of hioxifilcon A lens material, 57% water content and provide 25 Dk/t oxygen permeability.

  In Real Life  

• Daniel Brown, O.D., of Florida Eye Associates, details in a Q and A with Florida Todaythat his passion for optometry began in high school when an optometrist spoke to his class about the profession. “I knew then that it was the right field for me,” he says. Read more at https://www.floridatoday.com/story/life/wellness/2019/11/19/health-pro-visit-real-world-class-led-career-optometry/4205995002/.

  Nonprofit   

• Brien Holden Vision Institute (BHVI) has signed a deal with Optometry Giving Sight USA (OGS) to continue as its preferred project implementation partner. CooperVision has also renewed its sponsorship of the global GOS organization.
• Dr. Ying-Zi Xiong has been selected as a post-doctoral research fellow to conduct studies at the Wichita-based  Gigi & Carl Allen Envision Research Institute. Her research focuses on challenges confronting individuals experiencing hearing and vision loss.

 

Benches, tables, waste stations and an agility ramp will help train guide dogs for the blind or visually impaired.

Bausch + Lomb has partnered with TerraCycle to donate custom training modules made from recycled contact lenses to the Guide Dog Foundation.   TerraCycle, which specializes in repurposing hard-to-recycle post-consumer waste, will create benches, tables, waste stations and an agility ramp made from used contact lens materials collected through Bausch + Lomb’s ONE by ONE Recycling Program, according to a press release.   The headquarters of the Guide Dog Foundation in Smithtown, New York, will receive the training modules, which will be used to train guide dogs for blind or visually impaired individuals.   “At Bausch + Lomb our mission is to help people see better to live better by delivering critical resources and advancements that help improve vision health,” Joe Gordon, U.S. president, Bausch + Lomb, said in the release. “We are proud to further build upon the ONE by ONE Recycling Program with TerraCycle in providing this donation to the Guide Dog Foundation — an initiative that not only supports the health of our environment, but also provides the precious gift of sight through the training they provide guide dogs for those who are blind or visually impaired.”   The ONE by ONE program encourages contact lens wearers to bring their used lenses and packaging to participating eye care professionals’ offices for recycling. More information can be found at www.bauschrecycles.com.  

A growing number of people have become conscious about their impact on the environment, and have begun to do things like phasing out their use of plastic bags, containers, and water bottles. But who would have thought to look at contact lenses as a contributor to pollution? Contact lenses might seem small in size, but it turns out their impact on the environment can really add up.  

Contact lens usage

  The contact lens industry is growing, with over 125 million wearers reported worldwide as of 2007. While there are several types of lenses available (dailies, monthlies, etc.), none are currently biodegradable.     However, it’s not just the lenses themselves that are thrown away. Plastic packaging and top foil, as well as plastic containers holding cleaning solution, also contribute to the waste. In 2011, a research group estimated that each pair of 100-milligram daily contact lenses came with almost four grams of plastic packaging, which were then both thrown away every day. Plastic that makes it to landfills takes up to 500 years to decompose, contributing to a surge in plastic leaching into our soil and water.  

Microplastics and the environmental and human impact of contact lenses

  With many people flushing their contacts down the drain, researchers at Arizona State University looked at what happens to the lenses in wastewater plants. They found that microbes in the facility altered the surface of the contact lenses which, in turn, caused the lenses to break down and form microplastics. Microplastics are just that – very small (less than five millimetres) pieces of plastic, that can pose a variety of problems.   For instance, marine animals can mistake microplastics for food. However, the material cannot be digested, which makes it dangerous not only for the animals themselves, but also for other animals along the food supply chain, including humans.   Microplastic particles can accumulate in the organs and tissues of animals and humans, causing immune responses (foreign body reactions and inflammations) called granulomas. A 2019 report from the World Health Organization, titled Microplastics in Drinking Water, said “if plastic emissions into the environment continue at current rates, there may be widespread risks associated with microplastics to aquatic ecosystems within a century, with potentially concurrent increases in human exposure.” They then demonstrate how living beings might be impacted by the absorption of microplastics. Researchers observed a 2% increase in bisphenol A (BPA) in mussels, a plastic that we are now accustomed to avoiding for its harmful health effects.   What’s more, microplastics can absorb toxins like pesticides and herbicides, concentrating these chemicals and moving them up the food chain as well.      

Can you recycle contact lenses?

  Although recycling programs for contact lenses and their packaging do exist (such as the ONE by ONE Recycling Program and TerraCycle), emphasis should first be on reducing waste, so that there is less need to divert so much plastic away from our water and soil.   Researchers are looking into contact lenses made of biodegradable materials such as soy, but there have been no concrete developments. What’s more, materials like soy could pose a problem for those with severe allergies.  

Contact lenses alternatives

  Glasses and contact lenses have plenty of practical drawbacks, but even if the hassles don’t bother you, the impact on the environment (as well as animal and human health) is certainly worth thinking about.  

With a wide range of procedures available, laser vision correction is a wise choice for both you and the planet. Book your free, no-obligation consultation today to learn more.

As I write this, the words of Greta Thunberg are reverberating around the world.   Wherever you stand on climate change, I hope everyone can agree hers is a powerful story. A 16-year-old, still a minor, getting up in front of the leaders of the world and clearly giving them a performance review: “You are failing us.” And she did it in English — not her native language.   I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t have been able to do that when I was 16. And certainly not in Swedish.   I am not trying to convince you about whether she is right or wrong. I am simply trying to tell you that she is. She exists. That just happened. And she illustrates the power and purpose of marketing — to get a conversion.  

People Are Lazy and Selfish

  And it’s not necessarily bad. I am. You are. We’re lazy, because it’s an evolutionary trait to conserve energy. And when I say we’re selfish, we’re simply hardwired to act in our best interest.   But …   These human characteristics make the job of saving the world really hard.  

Most People Don’t Want to Save the World, They Want to Save Themselves

  Climate change is a maddeningly complex topic. We’re literally talking about a combination of …   scientific study of the entire planet for thousands of years + an entrenched economic system — hardwired for brilliant, innovative change; yet, challenged by factoring in externalities + change on an such an epic scale that individual impact is difficult to feel x politics   And … oh look, a Kardashian just did something shocking on social media!   Where were we … oh, yes. How do you get humans to focus intently on such a deep problem that you change behavior when there are so many shiny and more fun options out there?   Well, you tell a better story. Thunberg is what Apple was talking about in its legendary “Think Different” campaign. As the ad states, you can “glorify or vilify them.” The most recent AP story about Thunberg talks about how she was both praised and criticized.   Will Thunberg be the one who helps bend that hockey stick of climate change somewhat downward? It’s unfair to even speculate.   But I can tell you her role. It’s marketing. Marketing has a bad rap sometimes, but that shouldn’t come across in a bad way.  

As a Marketer, You Can Save the World

  Or destroy it. But let’s stay positive.   Marketing has that all encompassing power to affect human behavior. Thunberg is a person, of course. Let’s respect that. But she’s grown to be something far greater.   She’s become a narrative. A way for people to comprehend climate change and how they can impact it. An easy-to-understand personification of a complex issue. In other words, marketing. From sailing across the ocean to reduce carbon emissions instead of flying to that speech in front of the UN, she has created a compelling brand. Something for people to pull for and choose to act due to her actions.   Marketing can save the world, because it is the marketers who create these stories. The stories that get people to change behavior. To wear Nikes instead of generic shoes. To spend more for an iPhone. To take their valuable time to attend a webinar.   No matter what engineers create or researchers discover or politicians utter, products, services, and ideas only succeed because people choose them.   So marketing has the power to save the world. To make the world a better place. To have more people choose good.   Marketing is ultimately the optimization of perceived value to help influence that choice. Some examples:  

Example No. 1: Chilean Sea Bass

  I got the idea for this article in a discussion with Flint McGlaughlin, Managing Director and CEO, MECLABS Institute, while he was preparing this YouTube Live session filled with conversion optimization ideas for viewer-submitted landing pages.   In it, he discusses how marketing essentially created the Chilean Sea Bass.   Marketing can help with environmental issues by making eco-friendly, but previously unpopular, options more popular in the marketplace (although, that can cause other issues).   For example, as Alexander Mayyasi states in the article "The Invention of the Chilean Sea Bass," “Far from unique, the story of the Chilean sea bass represents something of a formula in today’s climate of overfishing: Choose a previously ignored fish, give it a more appealing name, and market it. With a little luck, a fish once tossed back as bycatch will become part of trendy $50 dinners.”

Example No. 2: Strong Passwords

  In this Wall Street Journal article, "People Need an Incentive to Use Strong Passwords. We Gave Them One," professor Karen Renaud provides a great example of creating a process-level value proposition for creating a strong password (instead of just telling people they should create one)— the stronger the password is, the longer they can keep it before having to change the password again.

Example No. 3: Brushing Teeth

  Why did you brush your teeth this morning?   Let me stop you right there and tell you that you’re wrong. Whatever reason you gave is an attempt to logically explain a societally ingrained habit.   And that habit came into being thanks to headlines and body copy in advertising for Pepsodent made by advertising pioneer Claude Hopkins.   He didn’t just tell consumers they should brush their teeth because it’s the good or right thing to do. He created a value proposition for it by advertising the need to brush teeth to remove a film that builds up on them and “robs teeth of their whiteness.”

Example No. 4: Tesla

  Electric cars did not gain much traction until Elon Musk came along. Public perception was that electric vehicles — or EVs, for short — were akin to wearing a hair shirt. Yes, they kept the air we breathe cleaner, but it was a subpar experience.   Elon Musk changed that by leveraging the inherent quickness of EVs and created objects of desire with Tesla. These weren’t three-wheeled, two-seater econoboxes. These were high-end sportscars to be lusted after.   He did it by cultivating an innovative (and larger than life) persona on social media. By creating cars with tech-savvy features, like a car that turns off and door handles that retract when you simply walk away from the car. He also did it with smart branding — you can buy a Tesla Model X with “Insane Mode” or “Ludicrous Mode” acceleration.   In other words, marketing.   And in so doing, he changed the entire arc of the car industry from a group of companies that simply couldn’t get off fossil fuels to an industry that has invested billions in electrification and sees EVs as the auto propulsion of the future.

Example No. 5: Tom Szaky

  This story is still in progress, but I flag it up to you as an example that is going on right now. Tom Szaky founded TerraCycle with the idea of increasing recycling — especially for hard-to-recycle items that you couldn’t just set out on the curb.   But he didn’t do it by running ads telling you that recycling is good. He partnered with major brands from Bausch + Lomb to Colgate to Tide to leverage their brands and marketing muscle (i.e. co-op marketing) to get the message out to schools and non-profits, encouraging them to recycle in groups in exchange for donations. (And there is your process-level value prop … in addition to making the world a better place, of course).   Now he’s launching Loop, an e-commerce platform in which you can buy your favorite brands in reusable containers by, again, leveraging what is essentially co-op marketing. This small company is trading on some of the biggest and most valuable brands in the world.

'With Great Power There Must Also Come — Great Responsibility'

  The Peter Parker principle. If you are a marketing leader, you have a super power. The power to influence human behavior.   To heal … or to destroy … the world.   Use it wisely.

Do you wear contacts and hate the idea of throwing away the packaging? Bausch + Lomb and Terracycle have created the first contact lens recycling. Contact lens and their packaging are small, and it doesnt seem like a big deal, but if you wear daily lenses, or even bi-weekly, it adds up.