April 22, 2026
2 min read
Key takeaways:
- MyDay contact lenses from CooperVision are now made with lower-carbon plastic.
- Bausch + Lomb has recycled more than 700,000 pounds of contact lenses.
In recognition of Earth Day, two eye care companies shared updates on their efforts to offset and mitigate the environmental impact of their products, particularly contact lenses and related materials.
Packaging for MyDay daily disposable contact lenses is now being made with lower-carbon materials, according to a press release from CooperVision, and polypropylene used in the blister packs is International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS “bio-attributed material sourced and allocated via a mass balance approach.”
In recognition of Earth Day, two eye care companies shared updates on their efforts to offset and mitigate the environmental impact of their products, particularly contact lenses and related materials. Image: Adobe Stock
“This means that approximately 95% of MyDay’s primary packaging is now made from lower-carbon raw materials produced in environmentally, socially and economically sustainable ways, with full traceability and verification,” Jennifer Palombi, OD, FAAO, director, professional affairs, Americas, CooperVision, told Healio.
Jennifer Palombi
“CooperVision is the first and only contact lens manufacturer to use ISCC PLUS-certified plastic in our product packaging,” Palombi added.
The aluminum foil lid is also lower carbon but not ISCC PLUS certified, according to CooperVision.
The shift in materials sourcing was instituted as part of the company’s Made Better sustainability initiative, which it announced ahead of Earth Day.
“Made Better is the smarter, more responsible way we design, make and deliver the products,” Aldo Zucaro, senior director of corporate responsibility at CooperCompanies, said in the release. “It’s our promise to keep pushing forward, choosing progress over complacency and proving that when we make things better, we make a difference.”
The initiative also includes the company’s existing partnership with Plastic Bank, in which plastic waste is removed from coastal communities in an effort to offset the plastic used in making contact lenses. An amount of plastic equivalent to about 670 million plastic bottles has been removed under the program to date, according to CooperVision.
Also in conjunction with Earth Day, Bausch + Lomb announced that 724,922 pounds of contact lenses have been recycled through its One by One program as of April 16.
The program allows for certain contact lenses and other eye care materials to be dropped off at participating eye care practices, which send them to be recycled by a company called TerraCycle. According to Bausch + Lomb, the current total of 119,715,074 recycled units equates to about five backyard swimming pools of water.
Kriti Bhagat, OD, FAAO, owner of Eyediology Vision in Rhode Island, participates in the program and told Healio she incorporates it into her patient education.
Kriti Bhagat
“When you give patients an easy, tangible way to reduce their own waste, it reinforces trust and shows that small actions, done consistently, can make a big difference,” Bhagat said.
For more information:
Kriti Bhagat, OD, FAAO, can be reached at kbhagat.od@gmail.com.
Sources/Disclosures
Source:
Press Release
Reference:
- Bausch + Lomb reports nearly 725,000 pounds of contact lens, lens care and eye care materials collected and recycled through One by One recycling program. https://www.bausch.com/newsroom/news/?id=329. Published April 16, 2026. Accessed April 21, 2026.
Disclosures:
Bhagat reports consulting for Bausch + Lomb. Palombi reports being director, professional affairs, Americas, CooperVision.
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