Recycling glasses: they too have the right to a second life!
How many pairs of glasses , solar as seen, are in the closet while they could still protect or improve the sight of a third person? If some keep the same mounts of years, many others change pairs annually, or almost. To prevent collections of unused glasses piling up at home, discover ways to enhance this hidden treasure in the drawers, which would make it fun, or enjoy!
A recycling glasses humanitarian & solidarity
According to a survey conducted by our member Atol in 2015, there are 100 million pairs of glasses that would be unused in France, an average of two devices per eyeglass wearer. This considerable treasure could however make many happy! It is estimated that 90% of the visually impaired are in developing countries, where optical equipment is difficult to access or inaccessible.
However, the initiatives of the signs and associations are numerous. The Association Sans Frontières especially, collecting mounts and glasses to redistribute them to people in difficulty . This is also the case for the Medico Lions Club of France, which annually recovers nearly 100,000 pairs of glasses, recycles them and ships them around the world. These collections would not be allowed without the collaboration of many opticians, independent and franchised, who sensitize their customers to the solidarity valuation of their used pairs .
The Krys Foundation launches eg every year a large collection campaign in its stores. This allows the equipment to be rerouted to the partner associations which redistribute it to disadvantaged populations around the world. The Atol network offers him the " Second Life " offer that allows you to get a discount on new equipment in exchange for the recovery of an unused pair .
Also, many pharmacists recover optical equipment in addition to unused or expired medicines with dedicated containers . Hundreds of thousands of glasses are collected through these initiatives and change lives !
A rewarding recycling
The view and the fashion can evolve quickly: one can quickly get tired of the frame that one likes so much and relegate it to the cupboard. But this pair on the sideline can prove to be a valuable financial asset to renew its equipment . Often underestimated, the second-hand market does indeed exist in the field of optics . In a few clicks, it is now possible to sell his sunglasses or sight but also to buy "new" used !
The MyBinocle website has launched the first optical consignment site. It is thus possible to sell the pair of glasses via a small ad while keeping it at home in a classic way. But also to entrust to a optician MyBinocle who will review, clean and take a picture of the pair to form a "premium" ad , and then ship it once sold! It is also possible to put glasses in the sight of customers on bare frames. The purchases made on the site can also be supported by the mutuals , as for the purchase of a new equipment in conventional shop.
Eyeglass craze started from a different point of view: fashion is cyclical and the glasses have already made more than one ride, so value the original rather than buying new reproductions; the consecration of vintage in sum. Thus, the team searches for and finds frames that it selects beforehand, then restores them to offer them in a new condition at a workshop price.
We recently talked about eco-friendly innovations that deal with downstream recycling issues and make the purchase of glasses responsible. The second-hand market is an upstream alternative but equally responsible, ecological and economical . But beyond the aspect of buying / selling, depositing your unused glasses in a gathering place and in a sharing process should become a reflex as it is a citizen gesture : to all of us to raise awareness of our environment and our customers in this area. meaning.
