Where to recycle or donate glasses after the solar eclipse on April 8?
The total solar eclipse has come and gone, and the event has left millions of viewing glasses in its wake. Here’s where you can recycle or donate them.
Millions came out to witness the total solar eclipse of April 8, and since the next one to pass through the US will take 20 years to arrive, there’s the issue of what to do with the viewing glasses that were used in the event.
Many organizations handed out or sold commemorative eye wear for the eclipse. Some may want to hold on to them to remember the eclipse by, but others may be wondering how to recycle or donate them.
Where to recycle or donate glasses after the solar eclipse on April 8?
The best option for your solar eclipse eyewear, at least as far as the environment is concerned, is for them to be reused. Thankfully, there are some groups that work toward getting these glasses to people who may be able to use them again.
Astronomers Without Borders
If you want your glasses to go to a good cause, you may send them to Astronomers Without Borders. The non-profit organization is collecting what it calls “gently used eclipse-viewing glasses” across the US and Canada to send to communities and schools in other countries with less resources, for use in future solar eclipses.
They have partnered with other organizations where you can drop off your used solar eyewear, including Warby Parker. The website of Astronomers Without Borders has a growing list of collection partners that store eclipse glasses.
Here are some of the locations of their partners.
| STATE | ORGANIZATION | ADDRESS |
|---|---|---|
| National | Warby Parker | 240+ Retail Outlets (Find a Store) |
| Indiana | Vessel Refillery FW | 10376 Leo Road, Suite G, Fort Wayne, IN 46825 |
| Ohio | Keep Toledo/Lucas County Beautiful | Attn: Adam Cassi, 1011 Matzinger Rd., Toledo, OH 43612 |
| Ohio | Twinsburg Public Library | 10050 Ravenna Road, Twinsburg, OH 44087 |
| Vermont | Montshire Museum of Science | 1 Montshire Rd, Norwich, VT 05055 |
| Vermont | Chittenden Solid Waste District | 19 Gregory Drive, Suite 204, South Burlington, VT 05403 |
Eclipse Glasses USA
You can also give your undamaged eyewear to Eclipse Glasses USA. The company is accepting donations until Aug. 1 to send them to K-12 schoolchildren in Latin America, so that they can safely view the annular eclipse taking place in October.
You can mail the glasses to: Eclipse Glasses USA, P.O. Box 50571, Provo, UT 84605. You can also e-mail the organization for more information at info@eclipse23.com.
If you’ve damaged your glasses and they can no longer be donated or reused, you can remove the lenses and toss the arms into the recycling bin. Unfortunately, the lenses could end up in a landfill as they aren’t recyclable.