Key Takeaways
- Bausch + Lomb’s ONE by ONE Recycling program has collected over 119.7 million units (724,922 pounds) of used eye care materials in the US
- The initiative addresses a major environmental gap, as contact lenses and related plastics are typically not accepted in municipal recycling systems and can contribute to wastewater pollution
- Participating practices not only support sustainability but also generate donations to Optometry Giving Sight, linking recycling efforts to global vision care impact
Bausch + Lomb announced that its ONE by ONE Recycling program has surpassed an environmental milestone in the United States, collecting and recycling more than 119.7 million units of used eye care materials.
The program, developed in partnership with international recycling company TerraCycle, has diverted approximately 724,922 pounds of contact lenses, blister packs, and related materials from landfills—an amount the company says is equivalent to roughly five backyard swimming pools of water.
“Seeing this program continue to grow year after year reinforces how powerful collective action can be,” said Amy Butler, vice president of Global Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability at Bausch + Lomb. “The ONE by ONE program makes it easy for eye care practices and patients to make a real, measurable difference.”
According to B+L, recycling contact lenses presents unique challenges. Due to their small size and specialized plastics, items such as lenses, blister packs, and solution caps are typically not accepted by municipal recycling programs. As a result, they often end up in landfills or waterways. In the US alone, an estimated six to 10 metric tons of contact lenses enter wastewater systems annually. The ONE by ONE initiative aims to address that gap by providing a dedicated recycling pathway for these materials through participating eye care practices.
The program also includes a charitable component. Practices that send in qualifying shipments of 10 pounds or more trigger a donation of $1 per pound to Optometry Giving Sight, an organization focused on preventing blindness and vision impairment worldwide.
Beyond the US, Bausch + Lomb has expanded its sustainability efforts through the Every Contact Counts program in Canada. Since launching in 2019, that initiative has collected more than 78,000 pounds of used contact lens materials.
The recycling programs are part of the company’s broader environmental strategy, guided by its “FEWW” framework—fuel, energy, water, and waste. Each facility operates with annual targets tied to these metrics as Bausch + Lomb works to reduce its environmental footprint while advancing its mission of improving vision health globally.
More information about the company’s sustainability initiatives is available at www.bausch.com/impact.
