Do you use daily or long term use contacts? Are you upset by the environmental impact that contact lenses have?
Contact lenses are such an amazing invention. Think about how impressive it is that they work so well! A tiny lens made of plastic is inserted into your eye and improves your vision.
No matter how amazing contact lenses are, they also come with negatives. In particular, they can be harmful to the environment. Keep reading to find out how and why contact lenses impact the environment!
Contacts Are Convenient But Cause Pollution
One thing that people love about contacts is how convenient they are. Unlike glasses, you do not have to worry about people knowing you are wearing them.
Putting in your contacts is part of many people’s everyday lives. You can easily dispose of contacts, so you do not need to worry about carrying them around.
But most people do not think about the impact their contact lenses have on the environment. It is important to remember that they are made out of plastic, so something has to happen to them.
Most people use daily contact lenses. That means there are millions of contacts thrown out annually. Daily plastic contact lenses are part of the single-use plastic problem. No matter where you live, this is a problem.
One issue related to plastic, in general, is preventing it from getting into our water. If it gets into the water, it can cause pollution.
In a study of Americans, between 15 – 20% of contact wearers dispose of contacts by flushing them down the toilet or the sink. This is bad for the environment!
Contact lenses are made up of microplastics. It takes microplastics a very long time to break down. When microplastics get into the environment, animals ingest them and then they end up in the soil.
When microplastics get into the soil, they then get into food and our drinking water. That affects more people and animals.
Microplastics And Their Effect On The Environment
Now, you may wonder, what is a microplastic? Tiny fibers from clothes or microbeads in skincare products or pre-production pellets are microplastics.
Microplastics have been found in natural water supplies worldwide, water from bottled water companies, and in different types of beer. Once it gets into the water, it gets into the marine life as well.
People have found microplastics in fish and other seafood. This is a problem because these fish are then eaten by people. If you eat seafood, you may eat thousands of particles of plastic per year.
If it is an option, getting extended use contacts is a great way to help the environment. This way you are not using as many single-use products.
Another great option is wearing glasses. If you cannot switch from daily use contact lenses, please be aware of how you dispose of them. Keeping plastics out of our water system is important.
If you’re tired of wearing glasses, why not consider LASIK? It will allow you to say goodbye to wearing contact lenses. This can reduce your environmental impact in one small way.
Ready to find out if you could be a good candidate for LASIK? Schedule a LASIK consultation at Stahl Eyecare Experts in Manhattan, NY now!
