Johnson & Johnson Logo
ACUVUE

Contact Lens Recycling & Sustainability

Young man outdoors in park.
ACUVUE
Jump to:

You should feel good about wearing ACUVUE® contact lenses

Icon of a clean energy power plant on a teal background

We make contact lenses that help you see the world around you more clearly. It’s also our goal to make sure that it's a world worth seeing. To do this, we focus on three main areas – tackling waste, considering climate and protecting the natural world. Together, they make up our sustainability commitments.

Can you recycle contact lenses?

Contact lenses are made from hydrogel and silicone-hydrogel components, which makes them non-biodegradable plastics. This means that you can’t recycle them in your household recycling bin.

However, through the ACUVUE® Contact Lens Recycling Programme, with global recycling specialist MYGroup Ltd, you can still do your part for the environment. All you need to do is drop off your used contact lenses and packaging at participating Optician practices across Great Britain.

Can you recycle contact lens solution bottles?

Yes, you can easily recycle your contact lens solution bottles in your recycling bin. There’s no need to recycle these through a specialised programme.

 

Contact lens solution bottles are typically made from HDPE (high-density polyethene) plastic, a material that is commonly used for everyday products such as detergent bottles, bottle caps, margarine tubs, and milk jugs. They can also be created from PET (polythene terephthalate) plastic and deemed single-use clear plastic bottles.

 

When recycling your contact lens solution bottles, always remember to remove the lid (depending on local council guidelines for lid recycling) and rinse the bottle thoroughly. Then, just put it in your household recycling bin. 

Recycle contact lenses near me

You can conveniently recycle your contact lenses by visiting an optician participating in the ACUVUE® Recycling Programme near you. Simply pop your contact lenses into one of our specially marked boxes located at participating optician's practice. They’ll handle the rest.

The collected contact lens products and packaging are then sent for processing and recycled into new products.

Recycling contact lens products through our Contact Lens Recycle Programme provides a great way for you to make a positive environmental impact as part of your everyday routine.

 

Find an Optician

How can you recycle contact lenses?

How can you recycle contact lenses?

You can recycle contact lens outer boxes, instruction guides, reusable containers and solution bottles in your recycling bin. However, you can't recycle your contact lenses in your household recycling bin.

That's where the ACUVUE® Contact Lens Recycling Programme comes in. You can recycle the contact lenses themselves, the blister packs, and foils using the ACUVUE® dedicated recycling scheme at our partner opticians.

By doing this, we aim to reduce plastic waste in landfills and the oceans by providing a simple and practical alternative.

Here’s how to recycle contact lenses with ACUVUE® in just two simple steps:

  1. Collect your contact lens waste at home.
  2. Drop it off at your nearest participating opticians in our specially marked recycling boxes. It’s that easy!

Can you recycle contact lens solution bottles?

Yes, you can easily recycle your contact lens solution bottles in your recycling bin. There’s no need to recycle these through a specialised programme.

 

Contact lens solution bottles are typically made from HDPE (high-density polyethene) plastic, a material that is commonly used for everyday products such as detergent bottles, bottle caps, margarine tubs, and milk jugs. They can also be created from PET (polythene terephthalate) plastic and deemed single-use clear plastic bottles.

 

When recycling your contact lens solution bottles, always remember to remove the lid (depending on local council guidelines for lid recycling) and rinse the bottle thoroughly. Then, just put it in your household recycling bin. 

 

 

Considering Climate

Considering Climate

Mum and two daughters hugging in a garden
We all live on the same planet together, and climate change is a problem we must solve together. In our production, packaging, and even the way we operate our business, we seek to reduce our carbon footprint.

Our carbon commitment

Through our current renewable and energy-efficient initiatives, as of 2024, we have saved 42,000 tonnes of CO2, but our work doesn't stop there.

‎

By 2030, we're planning to achieve carbon neutrality in all our operations.

Spotlight of our current efforts

100% renewable electricity to produce ACUVUE® contact lenses1

We use wind power at our production site in Limerick, Ireland2 and solar power in Jacksonville, Florida.2

Continuous Certification of ISO50001 Standard

For our energy management systems—including policies, targets improvements and use of data.***

Improvements to our packaging

All our paper packaging for ACUVUE® Contact Lenses come from responsibly managed forests helping combat deforestation. 

In 2023, we removed the plastic pouches on delivery notices for all our ACUVUE® orders, saving 2.7 tons of plastic each year in the UK.

Protecting the Natural World

Protecting the Natural World

Smiling young man with a black backpack on his back
It's our responsibility to minimise our impact on the planet. We're working hard to limit our use of natural resources and find ways to protect the environment. For example, by reducing water usage in our manufacturing processes, and encouraging contact lens recycling to reduce waste and support a more sustainable future.

Get started with ACUVUE® contact lenses

Try ACUVUE® for free*

Start your free* trial of ACUVUE® contact lenses today.

Find an Optician

Locate an Optician near you where you can get fitted with ACUVUE® contact lenses.

Got Questions?

Email us to Connect with an ACUVUE® specialist.

An image of an index finger holding a contact lens

Stay in touch by joining our newsletter

Stay up to date with our latest news and product releases by joining our mailing list.

Footnotes

 

*T&Cs apply: 1 trial per person. 18+. Professional consultation and fitting fees may apply and are not included. Subject to Optician approval. Participating Opticians only. For full terms and conditions see here.

 

All information sourced from 2025PP09139

 

References:

  1. Visit: https://www.jnj.com/environmental-sustainability/climate-and-energy-action 
  2. Visit: https://www.jjvision.com/press-release/johnson-johnson-vision-reinforces-sustainabilitycommitment 
  3. JJV Data on File 2021. Data Substantiation for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Projects at 
  4. US and Ireland ACUVUE® Contact Lens Manufacturing Facilities 
  5. JJV Data on File 2020. Sustainability Statistics for ACUVUE® Contact Lens Manufacturing 
  6. Visit: https://jnj.co.uk/latest-news/johnson-johnson-makes-significant-progress-towards-100-renewableelectricity-goal-with-new-wind-and-solar-power-purchase-agreements vi JJV data on File 2022. Annual 

waste data from Limerick + Jacksonville 

  1. Visit: https://www.terracycle.com/en-GB/brigades/acuvue 
  2. JJV Data on File 2022. Data Substantiation for Paper Packaging Certification Claim. 
  3. JJV data on file 2022. LEED Certification. 
  4. Visit: https://www.jnj.com/environmental-sustainability/climate-and-energy-action 

 

All ACUVUE® contact lenses have UV Blocking to help provide protection against transmission of harmful UV radiation to the cornea and into the eye. UV absorbing contact lenses are NOT substitutes for protective UV absorbing eyewear such as UV absorbing goggles or sunglasses because they do not completely cover the eye and surrounding area. You should continue to use UV absorbing eyewear as directed by your optician.

 

 

Important information for contact lens wearers: ACUVUE® Contact Lenses can be used for vision correction. An Eye Care Professional will determine whether contact lenses are right for you. Although rare, serious eye problems can develop while wearing contact lenses. To help avoid these problems, follow the wear and replacement schedule and instructions on proper lens care. Do not wear contact lenses if you have an eye infection, any eye disease or systemic disease, that may affect the eye, or if you are allergic to any ingredients. If you experience eye discomfort, excessive tearing, vision changes, redness or other eye problems, remove the lens and contact your Eye Care Professional immediately. For detailed information on proper wear, care, warnings and precautions, talk to your Eye Care Professional and carefully read the Instructions for Use available on Johnson & Johnson website https://www.e-ifu.com/  For any additional information, please visit our ACUVUE® website https://www.acuvue.com/en-gb

 

 

2026PP09546

 

ACUVUE
Get Contact Lenses
Help & Customer Care
About
Legal
© Johnson & Johnson and its affiliates 2025. All rights reserved. This site is published by Johnson & Johnson Medical Limited (registered company number SC132162 with its registered office at Baird House, 4 Lower Gilmore Bank, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH3 9QP. Email [email protected]), which is solely responsible for its content. It is intended for residents of United Kingdom and Ireland.
Last updated 01/12/2025
Footer 2024PP04601 v2