Introducing Opticycle, Australia's only end to end recycling solution for empty contact lens blister packs and eyeglasses and one of ODA's newest industry partners.
Opticycle estimates that up to 3 million pairs of prescription glasses are discarded in Australia every year, many of which end up in landfill. As such, they are committed to advancing environmental sustainability and tackling the recycling difficulties related to products from the optical industry.
In the past, many factors have hindered efforts in recycling glasses and slowed innovation but the biggest issue has been the inherent nature of eyeglasses themselves. Jason Rijnbeek from Opticycle says; "The design and multitude of materials used in glasses, make them notoriously difficult to recycle. Glasses are a highly engineered product, required to meet certain functional characteristics, as such the very nature of eyewear and the fact that they are made up of different plastic polymers and various types of metals, make extracting the component materials difficult to achieve. Specialised technology is needed to separate the different materials properly and this is what Opticycle brings to the market."
We asked Jason how Opticycle recycles frames and what new products are made from the recovered materials?
The glasses are carefully sorted to remove any contaminants, which is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the recycling process. The lenses are manually separated from the frames, allowing us to address the different material compositions effectively.
The frames are processed through our proprietary separating equipment to separate the metals from the plastics.
We partner with various manufacturers to repurpose them into new and useful products. The mix of lenses and frames is creatively used to produce unique benchtop sheets. Any excess plastics are recycled into innovative, sustainable building materials such as bricks, blocks, and eco-aggregates. Meanwhile, the excess metals are sent to refineries for further processing and reuse.
Are there parts of the frames or materials that can't be recycled?
No – we recycle every component and all materials.
How can ODA Members get involved?
All ODA Members can take advantage of reduced pricing when ordering recycling boxes or satchels directly from Opticycle. Boxes can be used to collect eyeglasses and contact lenses from your customers and satchels can be pre-purchased and used or sold to your customers at the RRP. Members can order by emailing sales@opticycle.com.au Ensure to advise that you are an ODA member and provide your membership number in the email. Non-members can conveniently purchase boxes and satchels straight from The ODA Shop
ODA and Opticycle are pleased to invite our ODA Members to join us for a tour of the Opticycle recycling facility. During the tour of their facility, Opticycle will show visitors the recycling process from the moment the material is received at the facility through to a demonstration of the separating process through their proprietary machinery. See more information here: Opticycle Facilty Tour
