Can you recycle sunglasses? What to do with an old pair
Short answer: Not in your household recycling bin. A pair of sunglasses combines several plastics, metal screws and hinges, and coated lenses in one small object, and ordinary recycling plants can't take that apart. If your old pair still works, keep wearing it, repair it or donate it – many opticians and charities such as Lions Clubs collect glasses and sunglasses. If it's broken beyond repair, ask an optician whether they collect frames for recycling; otherwise it usually goes in general waste. Sorting rules differ from place to place, so check your local council's guide.
Can sunglasses go in the recycling bin?
No. Household recycling in most of Europe is designed for packaging – bottles, tubs, cans and cartons – not for small everyday objects. Sunglasses are the opposite of what a sorting line can handle: small, made of mixed materials and held together by metal hinges and screws. The UK's Recycle Now service puts it plainly: you can't put old glasses in your household recycling bin. Singapore's national recycling guide gives the same reason for sunglasses: the mixed materials are difficult to separate.
The lenses don't belong in the bottle bank either. Sunglass lenses are made of plastic or specially hardened glass, and neither is the kind of glass that bottle banks collect.
What should you do with old sunglasses?
Work down this list and stop at the first option that fits:
- Keep wearing them. Loose temples or a crooked fit are often fixed in minutes by tightening a screw or having an optician adjust the frame.
- Repair them. Screws, nose pads and sometimes hinges can be replaced. A small optician's screwdriver costs very little.
- Pass them on. A friend, a family member or a second-hand shop may give them a second life.
- Donate them. Charities collect wearable glasses and sunglasses for people who can't afford them.
- Hand them in for recycling. Some optician chains collect frames – including broken ones – and send them to specialist recyclers.
- General waste, as a last resort, if none of the above is available where you live.
Can you donate old sunglasses?
Yes, as long as they're in good condition: both lenses intact, no deep scratches and a frame that still holds its shape. Lions Clubs International runs eyeglass collections in many countries, and its recycling centres clean, sort and pass on glasses and sunglasses to people in need. Many opticians have a collection box in store that feeds into schemes like this. Sunglasses are especially useful in sunny regions where good eye protection is hard to get or too expensive.
Before you donate, clean the pair, check that nothing is loose and ask whether the scheme wants the case. Some collections prefer glasses without cases to save space and shipping.
Where can you recycle broken sunglasses?
A pair that can't be worn any more can sometimes still be recycled – just not at home. In the UK, for example, Specsavers collects old glasses in store and works with a recycling company that separates the plastics from the metal parts and presses the plastic into boards. Other chains and some recycling centres accept glasses too. Ask your optician first: it's the most likely place to take them, whichever brand you bought.
If there's no collection near you, put the pair in general waste rather than in the plastic or glass recycling, where it can disrupt sorting.
Are old sunglasses still safe to wear?
An old pair isn't automatically a bad pair. What matters is whether the lenses were made with proper UV protection in the first place – look for UV400 or "100% UV" and the CE mark – and whether they're still in good shape. Replace them if the lenses are cracked or deeply scratched, if they distort what you see, or if you have no idea whether they ever blocked UV. Our guide explains what UV400 and the lens categories mean.
How to make your next pair last longer
The best way to cut down on old sunglasses is to buy fewer, better ones and keep them for years. When you shop, look for:
- Screwed hinges, not glued or riveted ones, so the frame can be tightened and repaired.
- Replaceable small parts such as screws and nose pads.
- Clear information on materials, UV protection and warranty.
At home, keep them in a case, clean the lenses with a microfibre cloth rather than your T-shirt, and don't leave them on the car dashboard in strong heat. For more on what separates a pair that lasts from one that doesn't, see our guide to judging sunglasses quality.
What are ECO SHADES sunglasses made of?
We design our sunglasses to be worn for a long time. The frames in our recycled sunglasses collection are made from 100% recycled plastics, with 5-barrel optical hinges and friction-lock screws, and every pair comes with a 2-year warranty. The rectangular Gallina Havana and the slim, classic Venturi Black are two good places to start. If you prefer metal, Dyhr Gold Brown has a frame made from recycled metal.
Our plant-based acetate sunglasses, such as the round Costa Olive Green, are made from a material that is plant-based, 100% biodegradable and industrially compostable. Industrially compostable means it needs the controlled conditions of an industrial composting facility – it won't break down in a garden compost heap or in nature. So the advice above applies to every frame: wear it for as long as you can, repair it, and pass it on when you're done. You can see every style in all sunglasses.
FAQ
Can I put sunglasses in the plastic recycling?
No. Household plastic recycling is meant for packaging. Sunglasses are a small object made of mixed materials, so they go to a collection scheme or, if that isn't possible, in general waste.
Do opticians take sunglasses they didn't sell?
Many do. Collection boxes and charity schemes usually accept glasses and sunglasses of any brand. Ask in store, or call ahead if you have several pairs.
What happens to donated sunglasses?
They're cleaned, checked and sorted. Pairs in good condition are passed on to people in need through charity projects; pairs that can't be reused may be sent for material recycling, depending on the scheme.
Should I repair or replace my sunglasses?
Repair them if the problem is a loose screw, a missing nose pad or a bent frame. Replace them if the lenses are cracked, badly scratched or have no UV protection label.