Bausch + Lomb Recycles Over 725,000 lbs of Eye Care Materials

ONE by ONE Recycling program collects and recycles used contact lenses and lens care products.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 5:50pm

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A high-end, photorealistic studio still life featuring a carefully arranged composition of clean, polished contact lens cases, blister packs, and other eye care products made from premium materials like glass, metal, and smooth plastics, conceptually representing the sustainable recycling efforts in the eye care industry.Bausch + Lomb's recycling program collects and repurposes tons of used contact lenses and eye care materials, demonstrating the power of collective action to reduce waste.Providence Today

Bausch + Lomb announced that its ONE by ONE Recycling program, created in collaboration with recycling leader TerraCycle, has collected and recycled a total of 119,715,074 units or 724,922 pounds of used contact lenses, eye care and lens care materials in the United States. The program makes it easy for eye care practices and patients to recycle these materials, which are not typically accepted in local municipal recycling facilities.

Why it matters

The ONE by ONE Recycling program helps prevent these small, hard-to-recycle eye health materials from ending up in landfills or waterways. It also demonstrates the power of collective action, as eye care practices and patients can make a meaningful environmental impact through the program.

The details

The ONE by ONE Recycling program allows eye care practices and patients to ship used contact lenses, blister packs, multi-purpose solution caps and other eye health materials to TerraCycle for recycling. For every qualifying shipment of 10 pounds or more, a $1 per pound donation is made to Optometry Giving Sight, a global initiative dedicated to preventing blindness and vision impairment. Bausch + Lomb also offers the Every Contact Counts program in Canada, which has collected and recycled more than 78,269 pounds of used contact lenses and related materials since 2019.

  • The ONE by ONE Recycling program was created in collaboration with TerraCycle.
  • The program has collected and recycled a total of 119,715,074 units or 724,922 pounds of used eye care materials in the United States.
  • The Every Contact Counts program in Canada has collected and recycled more than 78,269 pounds of used contact lenses and related materials since launching in 2019.

The players

Bausch + Lomb Corporation

A leading global eye health company dedicated to helping people see better to live better.

TerraCycle

An international recycling leader that collaborates with Bausch + Lomb on the ONE by ONE Recycling program.

Optometry Giving Sight

A global initiative dedicated to preventing blindness and vision impairment.

Kriti Bhagat, OD, FAAO

Owner and founder of Eyediology Vision, a Providence, RI eye care practice that participates in the ONE by ONE Recycling program.

Amy Butler

Vice president, Global Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability at Bausch + Lomb.

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What they’re saying

“Seeing this program continue to grow year after year reinforces how powerful collective action can be.”

— Amy Butler, Vice president, Global Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability, Bausch + Lomb

“The amount of single-use material that moves through an eye care practice adds up quickly. Being able to recycle many of these items through the ONE by ONE program has become an important part of how we run our practice – it demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and helps our patients build positive recycling habits around the eye health materials they use each day.”

— Kriti Bhagat, OD, FAAO, Owner and founder, Eyediology Vision

What’s next

Bausch + Lomb plans to continue expanding the ONE by ONE Recycling program to make it even easier for eye care practices and patients to recycle their used contact lenses and lens care materials.

The takeaway

The ONE by ONE Recycling program demonstrates how companies can work with partners to create innovative recycling solutions for hard-to-recycle materials, empowering consumers to make a meaningful environmental impact through their everyday actions.