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Thread: Where To Donate Unused Contacts

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    OptiBoardaholic IIxIPariahIxII's Avatar
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    Where To Donate Unused Contacts

    As the title says, anyone know the best place to donate unused contacts? I have a patient looking to donate unopened, non expired boxes to whoever is in need. I know there's some sites you can donate to, but anyone have any dealings or feelings with any in particular? Thanks in advance!

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    Quote Originally Posted by IIxIPariahIxII View Post
    As the title says, anyone know the best place to donate unused contacts? I have a patient looking to donate unopened, non expired boxes to whoever is in need. I know there's some sites you can donate to, but anyone have any dealings or feelings with any in particular? Thanks in advance!
    The success rate for donating contact lenses to the poor, especially in the developing countries, as you might imagine, is very small. I work with a ton of mission-trip-based applications. It's easy to make donated glasses work. It's quite hard to make anyone happy with contacts (mostly training and hygiene issues). I have not seen a smooth CL donation program yet.

    Contrary to popular belief, Goodwill, New Eyes for the Needy, OneSight, Lions, Rotary and Madre do not accept CL donations anymore. There seems to be a legal issue on donating contacts. If they see them, they send to recycling.

    The best answer is to seek for an exchange or a credit in the place they bought it from. That works more frequently than not. And the contacts won't go to waste.
    Last edited by vfpamp; 02-27-2020 at 04:33 PM.
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    Could you get in contact with your local women's shelter? I used to help out with one where I used to live-I would call their doc and get the RX then our office would donate what we could. We had several patients that would return their unopened boxes that we kept for just that. The women we helped were always so grateful-they had had to leave their homes and hometowns with very little, and often extra contacts or solutions just didn't get thought of in the chaos.

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    Quote Originally Posted by IIxIPariahIxII View Post
    As the title says, anyone know the best place to donate unused contacts? I have a patient looking to donate unopened, non expired boxes to whoever is in need. I know there's some sites you can donate to, but anyone have any dealings or feelings with any in particular? Thanks in advance!
    You might consider donating these CLs to NFOS opticianry schools that teach CL fitting in your area.

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    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    Holy crap, man. You can't donate used CLs!!!!!!

    Just trash them, pronto.

    If you want to lie to your patient to make him feel better, you have my permission.

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    Master OptiBoarder AngeHamm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by drk View Post
    Holy crap, man. You can't donate used CLs!!!!!!

    Just trash them, pronto.

    If you want to lie to your patient to make him feel better, you have my permission.
    The OP says un​used.
    I'm Andrew Hamm and I approve this message.

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    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    Ok, let's think, people.

    "Hi, here's some Acuvue 2 contacts. -5.00. 8.3 BCR. Who wants 'em?"

    "Oh, me, me!"

    Are you joking?

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    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    "Hi, I'm a homeless guy. Anyone want to donate some CLs to me?"

    "Hi, I'm an underprivileged youth in South LA. I'd love some free contacts, because I can't afford a doctor."

    Are you joking?

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    Let's turn this string positive: Bausch and Lomb's One for One recycling program will take all contacts: USED and un-used as well as all packaging. It costs you nothing to look like a hero: contact B&L, B&L sends you a free packing slip, UPS takes away your 10lbs. of contacts and you tell your patient you're helping save the world.
    Please pass this on-every practice should do this.

  10. #10
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    B+L is playing the game.

    True story, just yesterday.

    "I don't want disposables this time."

    OK, why?

    "Too much waste."

    OK, reusables, then?

    "Yes!"

    OK, but you'll be going through about six of these per year (plunks down a full-sized plastic bottle of MPS solution). <facepalm emoji>

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    Rising Star walleye's Avatar
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    In their literature B&L One for One recycling program does NOT take current or out of date unopened soft lenses. They only take the opened blister backs with or without the foil.

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    OptiBoardaholic IIxIPariahIxII's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GAgirl View Post
    Could you get in contact with your local women's shelter? I used to help out with one where I used to live-I would call their doc and get the RX then our office would donate what we could. We had several patients that would return their unopened boxes that we kept for just that. The women we helped were always so grateful-they had had to leave their homes and hometowns with very little, and often extra contacts or solutions just didn't get thought of in the chaos.
    Quote Originally Posted by tmorse View Post
    You might consider donating these CLs to NFOS opticianry schools that teach CL fitting in your area.

    I offered both of these to the patient and she loved the ideas. Thank yall for the awesome input!

  13. #13
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    Stupid emotionalism that is:
    1. contrary to law
    2. not in the person's best interests.

    I disapprove.
    You don't care, I know.

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