Recycling...

**Johns** · 06-28-2009, 12:16 AM

Originally Posted by chip anderson

Real smart dispensers keep demo lenses in the patient's record (old lenses too if the demo's are not in there.)

Or dispensers that aren't that busy! How in the world would you have space for all of those!!??!!! Even the demo?

Of course, we don't use paper anymore, we scan everything into the file, so there's no place for us to put them anyway...

**Dougfir8** · 06-28-2009, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by optigoddess

Patient's Own Lenses -- get dispensed back to the customer (I tell them it's important for them to keep them until they can really make sure the new ones work well). It's helps with troubleshooting if I need to see the lenses later...and .... they can't complain that I didn't give them back to them!!!! (have you ever had someone complain about that? I have! Oy!)

Hmmm...don't know if I should share this idea...but .... if you have an engraver....you can engrave patterns on the lenses (haven't tried demo lenses) and then tint them....drill a hole in them....tie with some fishing line...and then...you have all the Christmas Tree ornaments you would ever need or want! I didn't think of this but one of my creative co-workers did this! They look really cool....they do! How about a windchime? (Martha Stewart would if she was in optics)

Seriously, does the Lion's club take just "lenses only" ? just a thought....

Off to drink more coffee now....

karen

We have a person, Carol, who is an expert with a Dremel tool. She makes shamrocks, pumpkins, Christmas trees, animals, etc. with these lenses. She loves to get off-power thick lenses (+10 or higher) because these have extra thickness to be really creative. She drools over aspheric lenticular lenses! :o By combining two or more lenses, she makes hanging things like a star hanging from a sliver moon.

**Ginster** · 06-29-2009, 03:04 PM

A lions club rep. Told me they do take the old lenses only and turn them in to get cash for the lenses from plastics companys. They take to cash and put it back into the program.

**EyeFitWell** · 07-03-2009, 11:50 AM

Maybe we could start telling kids to put their old lenses under their pillow at night for the lens fairy to come and swap them out for some cash.

**Spotless** · 08-29-2020, 07:27 AM

Originally Posted by Eddie G's

What should we do with our old POL's and DEMO lenses???

I have garbage bags full of these things and I feel guilty throwing them out!

Does anyone recycle these or should I just keep them for another 10 more years until someone does???

Thanks,
Eddie G's

Hello there

i came across your posting 17 years later, first of all, your concern is real and to see you caring about the environment from the danger of plastic back in 2003 is remarkable. People are getting more aware by day about the danger of plastic polluting Our oceans, hopefully opticians will do too. The danger we produce as opticians goes beyond demo lenses, we produce tons of micro plastic beads, less than 1 mm in diameter ever time we cut a lens.

The good news is one company stepped up and created a recycle program for demo and old lenses, the program is called “Kick Plastic” by Costa

You can leaned more about this program from this article at the link below
https://www.eyecarebusiness.com/news...xpands-to-labs

As far as plastic wast from edging machines, I recommend putting it in plastic bag, and put the pag in cardboard box, and throw it in the trash, do not put it in the recycle, they will not recycle it. Try not to get any of the tiny plastic in the water stream, and if your edger is connected to direct water feed, switch to closed water circuit in a picket.