Recycling Contact Lens Blister Packs
With Waste Action Maleny
Between 250 and 500 million contact lens blister packs end up in landfill in Australia each year, but most of these could be recycled. They are too small to be recycled through Council’s waste facility machinery, but they can be recycled through programs such as Opticycle or Pharmacycle.
After the blister packs are collected by Opticycle or Pharmacycle, the polypropylene (plastic) and aluminium foil are separated and converted back into raw materials for use in new products.
Drop-off points for contact lens blister packs include:
• Specsavers – visit opticycle.com.au to find a drop-off point near you.
• Bupa Optical – check out your nearest store at bupaoptical.bupa.com.au.
• Chemist Warehouse – place in their Pharmacycle blister pack recycling boxes (same as medicine blister packs).
• Ask your optometrist if they recycle contact lens blister packs.
The contact lenses themselves can’t be recycled. They are made of medical-grade plastic-type materials and should be disposed of in general waste. To protect marine environments from microplastic pollution, it’s important that used contact lenses are never flushed down toilets or drains.