Bausch + Lomb Reports More Than 100 Million Units of Contacts Lenses, Lens Care and Eye Care Materials Collected Through ONE By ONE and Biotrue® Eye Care Recycling Programs
Bausch + Lomb Corporation (NYSE/TSX:BLCO), a leading global eye health company dedicated to helping people see better to live better, today announced its exclusive ONE by ONE Recycling and Biotrue Eye Care Recycling programs have collected a total of 103,169,500 units, or 625,026 pounds, of used contact lenses, eye care and lens care materials in the United States. That's equivalent to the weight of approximately 600 concert grand pianos1.
"These award-winning recycling programs continue to drive a positive environmental impact, offering eye care professionals, patients and consumers a way to properly recycle used eye health materials," said Amy Butler, Vice President, Global Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability, Bausch + Lomb.
Due to their small size and the type of plastic used to manufacture them, contact lenses, eye care and lens care materials are often inefficiently processed in standard recycling facilities and may inadvertently end up in landfills or waterways. In the U.S., it is estimated that six to 10 metric tons of contact lenses end up in wastewater each year, polluting aquatic environments and potentially impacting the human food supply.
"The ONE by ONE and Biotrue Eye Care Recycling programs allow my practice and patients to responsibly recycle eye health items—something that wasn't possible until these programs became available," said Jennifer Tsai, OD, LINE OF SIGHT, New York. "We're proud to collect these materials and contribute to a cleaner environment and healthier planet."
The ONE by ONE Recycling program has collected over 101 million used contact lenses, blister packs and top foils since the program's launch in November 2016. The Biotrue Eye Care Recycling program, which launched in April 2021, has collected over 1.3 million eye drop single dose units, lens cases and lens solution caps, as well as all Biotrue-branded eye drop bottles2. Bausch + Lomb has a similar contact lens recycling program in Canada called Every Contact Counts.
Bausch + Lomb is committed to implementing, maintaining and enhancing sustainable business practices that support customers, consumers, eye care professionals, patients, employees and communities around the world. Its impact initiatives are measured against several key environmental metrics called "FEWW" – fuel, energy, water and waste. Each Bausch + Lomb facility has annualized goals against these metrics to harness new opportunities and evolve in a sustainable way as the company delivers on its mission of helping people see better to live better. Visit www.bausch.com/impact for more information.
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About the ONE by ONE Recycling Program
The Bausch + Lomb ONE by ONE Recycling program is the first and only contact lens recycling program in the United States. This program collects used contact lenses, top foils and opened plastic blister packs from any brand and is available to contact lens wearers and eye care professionals. To participate, contact lens wearers can bring their used contact lenses and packaging to one of these practices, which collect the used materials in a custom recycling bin provided by Bausch + Lomb. Once the bin is filled, the eye care practice ships the materials using a Bausch + Lomb pre-paid shipping label to TerraCycle® where lenses are cleaned and melted into hard plastic pellets that can be used to make new recycled products. To learn more about the Bausch + Lomb ONE by ONE Recycling program, visit www.bauschrecycles.com.
About the Biotrue Eye Care Recycling Program
The Bausch + Lomb Biotrue Eye Care Recycling program is the first and only eye care and lens care recycling program in the United States. This program allows consumers who participate to properly recycle all brands of eye drop single dose units, lens cases and lens solution caps, as well as all Biotrue-branded eye drop bottles. Once consumers collect these items, they can be mailed to TerraCycle using a pre-paid shipping label. When the waste arrives at the TerraCycle facility, it is cleaned and melted into hard plastic pellets that can be used to make new recycled products. To learn more about the Biotrue Eye Care Recycling program, visit www.biotrue.com/terracycle/.
About Bausch + Lomb
Bausch + Lomb is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the gift of sight for millions of people around the world – from birth through every phase of life. Its comprehensive portfolio of approximately 400 products includes contact lenses, lens care products, eye care products, ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter products and ophthalmic surgical devices and instruments. Founded in 1853, Bausch + Lomb has a significant global research and development, manufacturing and commercial footprint with approximately 13,500 employees and a presence in approximately 100 countries. Bausch + Lomb is headquartered in Vaughan, Ontario, with corporate offices in Bridgewater, New Jersey. For more information, visit www.bausch.com and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.
References
- https://www.pianosolutions.net/piano-sizes.htm
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Contact lens solution bottles are recyclable through standard recycling
TerraCycle® is a trademark of TerraCycle Inc. used under license.
©2025 Bausch + Lomb.
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