The Recycle for Sight Program

The inability to see clearly can prevent children from learning in school, adults from finding work or staying employed, and older adults from living independently.

Often, a simple pair of eyeglasses can bring the world into focus, but a lack of access to basic care prevents many people in developing nations from getting the treatment they need.

Cost is also an issue; in a developing country a pair of glasses may cost as much as a month’s wages.

However, with the help of Lions around the world and the Recycle for Sight program, Lions Clubs International is bringing clear vision to millions, one pair of glasses at a time.

Through Recycle for Sight, Lions collect new and gently used eyeglasses and sunglasses in collection bins at a variety of locations in their communities including libraries, doctors’ offices, schools, sidewalks, banks and retail stores. The glasses are then shipped to the nearest Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center, where volunteers sort the glasses, clean them and determine their prescription strength.

After carefully packaging the refurbished spectacles, Lions store them until they can be distributed, usually through humanitarian missions to developing nations.

Each year, Lions collect about 30 million pairs of glasses. Clubs in Australia and Japan annually send 500,000 pairs of glasses to six recycling centers in Australia. Over the past decade, more than 3.5 million pairs of eyeglasses from these centers have been shipped to locations including India, the Middle East and the smallest islands in Indonesia.

What can you do to assist the Program?

If you have prescription glasses that you no longer use please arrange to drop them at one of the following locations:

• Westfield Garden City
  • Bailey Nelson
  • Lens Pro
  • Spec Savers
  • OPSM
  • Laubman & Pank
• Fairfield Gardens - OPSM​
• Cannon Hill - OPSM
• Yeronga Village - Image Eyewear

Or call our Program Coordinator Bev on 0411 024 559 who will be very happy to advise.

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