What to do with your old glasses

Repairing and rewearing is the most eco friendly way to reuse your old glasses, but the next best planet friendly option is to recycle your old glasses.

Glasses frames are a tricky mix of metal and plastic, they currently can’t be simply popped in with the household recycling, as the materials need separating out to be fully recycled.

So how can you recycle your old glasses? Here’s our guide to recycling and donating glasses and sunglasses.

reduce glasses waste

Choosing a quality pair of glasses is the best way to reduce glasses waste and keep them out of landfill.

Go for vintage or second hand glasses frames over buying new.

Look after your eyewear, as loved things last. Keep in the case and clean with the cloth - no leaving glasses lens down and you’ll avoid scratches and cracks - head here for more on how to look after your glasses.

Repair, rewear + Reglaze old glasses

Maycon Marmo

If you can't bear to part with your favourite glasses, reuse and rewear your old eyewear. Damaged lenses can be reglazed and updated while your favourite vintage glasses or modern frames can be restored.

Frames can be polished, hinges tightened, nose pads replaced and sides straightened. The reglazing process is easy and your old lenses can be simply replaced with your new prescription.

If you’re still in love your current frame, reglazing glasses is the perfect sustainable solution. You have the option to add in extra coatings, a blue light filter or even add in a tint, while keeping your favourite frame and saving pennies.

Or you could turn your old glasses into sunglasses and breathe new life into your old pair.

Donate + recycle your old glasses

Cotton Bro

Old glasses frames or vintage sunglasses hanging around? Don't throw them away - feel good and give back by donating them to us to be recycled or upcycled.

Donate your old frames and we'll do good on your behalf by upcycling, restoring and reselling which benefits our charity partners or fully recycling them at a specialist facility. Or we’ll reuse their parts for spares and repairs.

Send us your vintage glasses or modern frames and you’ll receive a £10 voucher towards your next purchase from Peep.

Alternatively Marie Curie works with The Lions Club to help recycle glasses and raise money for charity projects. You can also donate them direct to Lions Club who will use them to raise money for sight related charity projects across the UK.

You can donate and recycle your eyewear via Marie Curie pick ups and collection points, just contact them first. Vision Aid Overseas are no longer running their glasses recycling scheme.

We don’t recommend donating your old glasses to charity shops, unless they have a designated glasses recycling collection box, as they won’t be able to resell the glasses with prescription lenses and might just end up in landfill. They may accept ready reading glasses, but check with your local charity shop first.

play Dress Up

Keep your old glasses for costume parties and fancy dress. Mums, a small supply of glasses, particlarly round Harry Potter frames, can come in more than useful for World Book Day. Then there’s Halloween and theme parties to consider.. go as your favourite glasses icon.. we’re thinking Elton John, Iris Apfel, Jackie O or Michael Caine.

re-Sell your old glasses

Cotton Bro

Keep unwanted eyewear out of landfill and make a little money for your next frame purchase by selling your old glasses on eBay or Depop. Use a good picture and lots of lovely description to help them sell, remebering to include any flaws. Glasses, especially modern frames, have eye size, frame width and lots of information including make and model numbers on the inside to help you make that sale.

gift your glasses

Daria shevtsova

Give your glasses as a gift to friends or family, a frame might just suit them too. We wouldn’t advise sharing lenses with your bespoke prescription, as wearing the incorrect strength can damage your peepers, so lenses should be removed first.

Your gifted glasses can be restored and reglazed as a present for a loved one or made into ready reading glasses perfect for regifting.

If you want to learn more about what you can and can’t recycle - head over to Recycle Now and let’s keep what we can out of landfill #reducereuserecycle

Jo