by Joel Harrison
22. June 2011 14:26
Many contact lens users wonder if their choice of vision correction negatively affects the environment. Louisa Pearson, writing for Scotsman.com, decided to answer this question in her latest article.
According to her data, about a half of the population of the UK wear glasses (25-35 million), while approximately 3 million people wear contact lenses. Taking the fact that a pair of glasses is replaced (on average) after 2.2 years into account, the author states that they are definitely a green product. In addition, many companies make glasses with the use of recycled materials.
However, Pearson cites a study conducted by Eurolens Research in 2003 (including all things associated with contact lenses and their production), which found out that contact lenses accounted only for 0.5% of an average person’s annual waste. According to the study, conventional lenses were the least eco-friendly, while daily contact lenses and monthly ones had smaller impact on the environment.
Though glasses are a bit greener option, Pearson concludes, choosing contact lenses instead is not an environmentally irresponsible decision.
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