Old Spectacles

[Peanutte]

I recall some years ago that most opticians would collect your old glasses.

I was told that the lenses were sorted and sent to developing countries.

I recently asked a young member of staff about this (in one of the big chains of opticians) and she didn't know anything about it.

We have about 30 old pairs of glasses indoors. It seems a shame to just throw them away.

Does anyone know if there is anywhere they can be donated?

Or - with the advent of inexpensive online spectacle retailers - is it just not worth it?

tia.

[sloth]

The Lions Club recycles old specs. You'll probably find that a local independent optometrist will accept them, rather than one of the multiples.

https://lionsclubs.co/MemberArea/knowle ... recycling/

[bungeejumper]

I'd imagine that the falling cost of mass production must have impacted on the viability of these schemes? A quick google suggests that the manufacturing cost of basic specs in India is currently below £10, and that consumers can get government-subsidised pairs for as little as $3.50. (https://www.pointsdevue.com/article/low ... cles-india). Then again, I suppose that not every developing country is tackling the issue with quite such efficiency?

Personally, I doubt that my varifocals, with a rotation in one eye, would be of much use to anybody unless they were the one person in ten thousand with the exact same issues as me. And I'm struggling to imagine how it would ever be worth grinding back each of my lenses to fit other frames for other people? But happy to be convinced otherwise.

BJ

[tjh290633]

My local branch of Specsavers has a Lion's bin to receive old spectacles. Remember that India is an advanced country these days. There are lots of 3rd world countries where people find uses for second hand lenses and frames.

TJH