What to do with Your old Glasses after Laser Eye Surgery

After laser eye surgery, many patients often wonder what to do with their old glasses. In most cases,laser surgery will have banished the need to use any glasses. Alternatively, individuals will also have no need to keep old glasses once their prescription changes. Patients have often spent a great deal of money on their glasses and it is a shameto see them sat in a drawer being unused. What most people do not know is that there are a variety of different charities who can collect unwanted glasses.

Vision Aid Overseas

Vision Aid Overseas runs a nationwide spectacle collection scheme which operates to raise money for Vision Aid Overseas and ensures spectacles are recycled in an environmentally friendly way. There are numerous spectacle collection points around the UK which will help recycle spectacles.

You can donate glasses at any branch of Vision Express and other independent opticians. They provide this service as 10% of the world’s population do not have access to glasses they desperately need.Vision Aid Overseas claim that 13 million children worldwide are visually impaired because they do not have access to glasses. If you donate your glasses or, alternatively, donate a small amount of money, you can help children who cannot afford glasses to improve their eyesight and their education.

Lions Club

This group collect spectacles for reuse via their Chichester base. If you have a few pairs of glasses, you can call Sue Boucher and she will direct you to their nearest collection point. If you are an organisation such as an optician’s branch which have access to a vast number of glasses, then you can donate via two methods of delivery.

If you are local to their workshop, you can bring the donation yourselves. Their workshop is located at The Apuldram Centre and there is a deposit bin outside the main gates. Alternatively, you can send your glasses via freepost to Chichester Lions Club, The Apuldram Centre, Common Farm, Appledram Lane South, Chichester, West Sussex, PO20 7PE. Lions Clubs also run worldwide too, especially in America.

New Eyes For The Needy

New Eyes For The Needy are another group who collect donations of: plastic eyeglasses, reading glasses and sunglasses in good condition, metal eyeglasses in any condition, hearing aids, watches, silver and gold jewellery, costume jewellery, silverware and giftware. Glasses which are in good condition are sent to medical missions and international charitable organisations for distribution to the poor in developing nations.

Proceeds from the sale of scrap metal, hearing aids, jewellery and giftware are used to support the US eyeglass voucher programme. Donations can be dropped off at the office if you are American and live close by or, alternatively, donations can be sent to New Eyes For The Needy, 549 Millburn Avenue, P.O Box 332, Short Hills, NJ 07078.

Unite For Sight

Glasses will be donated to children and adults in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Reading glasses and sunglasses are in demand. Unite For Sight give several interesting facts as to why glasses are so desperately needed:

  • 1 billion people in developing countries need glasses but cannot afford them.
  • 4 billion pairs of glasses are thrown away every year in North America.
  • 25% of the global population need glasses.
  • 50% of children in institutions for the blind in Africa would be able to read normal or large print with glasses.
  • Prices for glasses in Africa can often exceed three months average salary.

If you have laser eye surgery, please consider donating your unused glasses.