How to Dispose of Old Eyeglasses and Sunglasses

How to dispose of old eyeglasses depends mostly on one question: could someone still wear them? A pair you have simply stopped using, whether it is an old prescription, a pair of reading glasses or sunglasses, can usually be donated. Charity programs clean the glasses, measure the lenses and pass them on to people who cannot afford an eye exam and new frames. Pairs that are snapped or badly scratched are worth less, but they are small and easy to handle: metal frames can go with scrap metal, and plastic frames and lenses go in the household trash. Eyeglasses do not belong in the curbside recycling cart. Here is how to sort each kind.

The quick answer

• Wearable prescription glasses, readers and sunglasses: donate them at a Lions Club collection box, a participating optical shop or by mail to a Lions eyeglass recycling center.
• Broken metal frames: scrap metal, or include them in a donation if the program accepts damaged pairs.
• Broken plastic frames and loose lenses: household trash.
• Cases: reuse them or give them away; otherwise trash.
• Smart glasses or any glasses with a battery: electronics or battery drop-off, never the trash.

Why donating comes first

Old glasses sit in drawers for years because they feel too useful to throw away, and that instinct is right. Millions of people around the world have vision problems that a basic pair of glasses would fix but have no way to get them. Collection programs sort donated pairs, read each prescription with a lens meter, label them and send them to vision clinics and eye care missions where they are matched to people with a similar prescription. A pair that is no use to you can give someone else the ability to read, drive or work.

You do not have to judge whether your pair is good enough. The Lions program, the best-known collector in the United States, sorts every donation, and pairs that cannot be reused are sent on for scrap and metal recovery. Some local boxes do ask for wearable glasses only, so read the label on the box.

Where to drop off old glasses

• Lions Club collection boxes. Local Lions clubs place boxes in libraries, banks, grocery stores, eye doctors’ offices, city halls and places of worship. Use the club locator on the Lions Clubs International website, or ask your local club where its boxes are.
• Walmart Vision Centers. Lions Clubs International lists participating Walmart Vision Centers as drop-off points for used eyeglasses.
• By mail. If there is no box nearby, Lions eyeglass recycling centers accept mailed donations. Find the nearest center on the Lions website and confirm its address before you ship.
• Your eye doctor or optical shop. Many keep a donation box or pass glasses along to a charity. Call ahead to ask.
• Thrift stores. Fashion sunglasses and non-prescription frames in good shape can often go in with other donations.

Before you drop them off, take the glasses out of their cases unless the program says cases are welcome, since some boxes ask for glasses only. A quick wipe is enough; there is no need to remove the lenses. Gather several pairs in a zip bag so they do not get scratched on the way.

Broken and unwearable glasses

If a donation program will not take a damaged pair, split it by material.

• Metal frames. Most metal frames are made of stainless steel, titanium or nickel alloys, all of which a scrap yard can recycle. A single frame weighs almost nothing, so keep it in a jar with other small scrap metal and drop the batch off together. Many transfer stations also have a scrap metal pile. Pop the lenses out first.
• Plastic frames. Acetate and nylon frames are not accepted in curbside recycling. They go in the trash.
• Lenses. Most modern lenses are plastic, such as polycarbonate or high-index material, and older ones may be glass. Neither kind belongs in bottle-and-jar glass recycling or plastic recycling, because they are treated with coatings and made of materials the sorters cannot use. Put them in the trash, and wrap broken glass lenses in paper or a small box first.

Cases, cloths and cleaner

• Hard and soft cases. Most are made of mixed materials, such as metal or plastic shells lined with fabric, so they cannot be recycled at the curb. Keep a spare for sunglasses, donate good ones to a thrift store, and trash the rest.
• Lens cloths and pouches. Reuse them for screens and camera lenses, or put them in the trash.
• Eyeglass cleaner spray. Use it up on glasses or screens. Rinse the empty bottle and recycle it if your program takes that type of plastic; the spray pump usually goes in the trash.

Smart glasses and other special eyewear

Glasses with built-in speakers, cameras or displays are electronics. They contain a small rechargeable battery that can start a fire if it is crushed in a garbage truck, so they must stay out of the trash and the recycling cart. Take them to an electronics drop-off or a retailer take-back program. Our electronics guide explains how those programs work, and the battery recycling guide covers loose batteries. Plain safety glasses and goggles can be reused until they are scratched, then trashed. Used contact lenses have their own rules, covered in how to dispose of contact lenses.

What not to do

• Do not put glasses in the recycling cart. They are small, made of several materials and can jam sorting equipment.
• Do not throw out a wearable pair. Donating takes a few minutes and costs nothing.
• Do not trash smart glasses. Their batteries belong at an electronics or battery drop-off.
• Do not mail glasses to a program you have not checked. Collection programs change, so confirm a mailing address is current before you ship.

Eyeglasses disposal FAQ

Can you recycle eyeglasses?

Not in the curbside cart. The best way to recycle them is to donate them to a program such as the Lions Club, which reuses wearable pairs and sends unusable ones on for scrap. Broken metal frames can also go to a scrap metal recycler.

Where can I donate old glasses near me?

Look for a Lions Club collection box at libraries, banks, stores and eye doctors' offices, ask at a participating Walmart Vision Center or optical shop, or mail them to a Lions eyeglass recycling center.

Can I donate broken glasses?

Often, yes. Many Lions collection programs accept all eyewear and sort it, sending damaged pairs for scrap. Some local boxes ask for wearable glasses only, so check the box label or ask the club.

Can I donate sunglasses and reading glasses?

Yes. Most eyeglass collection programs take prescription sunglasses, plain sunglasses and drugstore reading glasses along with regular prescription glasses.

What do I do with old eyeglass cases?

Reuse them, or donate cases in good shape to a thrift store. Most cases are made of mixed materials and are not recyclable at the curb, so worn-out ones go in the trash.

Can old glasses go in the trash?

Broken plastic frames and loose lenses can. Wearable pairs are better donated, and smart glasses with batteries must go to an electronics or battery drop-off instead.

The bottom line

How to dispose of old eyeglasses comes down to donating first. Drop wearable glasses, readers and sunglasses in a Lions Club box, at a participating optical shop or in the mail to a Lions recycling center. Save broken metal frames for scrap, put plastic frames, lenses and worn-out cases in the trash, and take smart glasses to an electronics drop-off. Keep all eyewear out of the curbside recycling cart.