Terracycle - Contact Lens recycling. Supplier Pulls Funding.

A lot happened in 2020, but it seems whilst many were not watching, others took the opportunity to back away from their ethical responsibilities.

 

Bausch & Lomb Pull Terracycle Funding 2021

 

About Sight was proud to support the Bausch & Lomb contact lens & packaging recycling scheme. Acting as a public collection centre, it had successfully help to divert 2,500 pieces from landfill and was growing its collection volume.

 

Bausch & Lomb Recycling Scheme Accepted

 

However, this changed with Bausch & Lomb pulled funding for the Terracycle waste stream in 2021. It seemed to About Sight that Bausch & Lomb's core marketing claim to "See Better, Live Better" was losing its focus on humans living in a zero waste society.

 

Bausch & Lomb See Better Live Better

About Sight followed up with an email to Bausch & Lomb on the 10th of March 2021:

" Until February 2021, Bausch & Lomb (B&L) were a keen advocate and promoter of the eco-waste management stream for recycling contact lenses and packaging via Terracycle.

The program helped to ensure that Bausch & Lomb took end-2-end responsibility for the planet-adverse materials that they were feeding into the consumer market and environment.
I was disappointed to hear (from Terracycle) that B&L had pulled funding and support from the programme in 2021. To me it seems like yet another corporate (and the people who work within it) attempting to shirk its corporate responsibility rather than be a progressive leader in the sustainability space.
Given the way this exit has been managed (or left), and the fact that there is no indication of a programme to supersede and be migrated to, I can only assume that B&L intend to walk away from leaving a long-term legacy."

 

 

The reply came the next day on the 11th of March 2021 from Bausch & Lomb Customer Service Manager:

 

 "I completely understand and appreciate your disappointment in hearing news our partnership with Terracycle has ended as of Feb 28th 2021.  This partnership, which was due to last 3 years in total, has resulted in the collection and recycling of over 1.6 million pieces of waste (from all contact lens manufacturers not just that from B+L).  Moreover, it has raised $4,200 for Optometry Giving Sight. 


Whilst the partnership with TerraCycle will not be extended beyond February 2021, B+L are looking into alternative schemes and initiatives with other partners as we remain committed to the pursuit of [global] environmental sustainability.   We hope to release more information soon to customers across the industry and also to loyal consumers of our brands such as yourself."

 

About Sight has followed up on the 18th of August 2021 to determine the status of a reinstated recycling scheme, but to date has not heard back.

 

About Sight is still ACCEPTING contact lens and packaging donations, and will stockpile until a recycling option becomes available.

 

This blog will be updated when new information becomes available.

MOVING ON-LINE

Prev Post

Nerdwax comes to About Sight (Official Stockist)

Next Post