Bausch + Lomb Launches Biotrue® Eye Care Recycling Program in Collaboration With TerraCycle in the United States
Bausch Health has launched the Biotrue® Eye Care Recycling program, the first of its kind in the United States, allowing consumers to recycle eye drop single dose units, lens cases, and Biotrue® multi-dose bottles. This initiative, in collaboration with TerraCycle, aims to reduce environmental waste from these products. Participants can sign up for the program, collect eligible items, and mail them to TerraCycle for proper recycling. The program supports Bausch's ongoing commitment to sustainability in eye care packaging.
- Launch of the first eye care recycling program in the U.S.
- Collaboration with TerraCycle to enhance sustainability efforts.
- None.
All Brands of Eye Drop Single Dose Units, Contact Lens Cases and Contact Lens Solution Caps,* As Well As Biotrue® Hydration Boost Multi-Dose Eye Drop Bottles Can Now Be Recycled
LAVAL, QB and TRENTON, N.J., Oct. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bausch + Lomb, a leading global eye health business of Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE/TSX: BHC) ("Bausch Health"), today announced the launch of the Biotrue® Eye Care Recycling program, the first and only eye care recycling program in the United States. The new program will allow consumers who participate in the program to properly recycle all brands of their eye drop single dose units, lens cases and lens solution caps*, as well as Biotrue® Hydration Boost Lubricant Eye Drops multi-dose bottles through a collaboration with TerraCycle, a world leader in the collection and repurposing of hard-to-recycle post-consumer waste.
"The Biotrue® Eye Care Recycling program is a natural extension of our existing ONE by ONE contact lens recycling collaboration with TerraCycle that will allow us to offer consumers who participate in the program the ability to properly recycle smaller eye care packaging, as well as our new Biotrue® Hydration Boost Lubricant Eye Drops multi-dose bottles for the first time in the United States," said Joe Gordon, U.S. president, Bausch + Lomb. "As part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability, we are proud to launch this new program to help prevent these eye care materials from harming our environment."
According to The Association of Plastic Recyclers, the industry standard screen size, which identifies and removes unrecyclable plastics, filters out small-sized materials as part of the recycling process1. Standard recycling facilities also only accept certain types of plastic. As a result, these eye care and lens care materials don't typically end up getting processed and are diverted to landfills.
"Since our founding, TerraCycle has made it our mission to 'Eliminate the Idea of Waste' by recycling the non-recyclable. We look forward to building upon our five-year collaboration with Bausch + Lomb and offering a new program for eye care materials in the United States," said Tom Szaky, founder and CEO, TerraCycle. "Like contact lenses, eye and lens care products and the materials associated with them are often overlooked in standard recycling practices, but have a huge impact on the buildup of environmental waste. With the Biotrue® Eye Care Recycling Program, consumers now have a way to properly recycle these materials and help preserve our environment for future generations to come."
To participate in the program, consumers can sign up on the TerraCycle Biotrue® Eye Care Recycling program page. Once registered, consumers can collect their empty Biotrue® Hydration Boost Lubricant Eye Drops multi-dose bottles and caps*, as well as their eye drop single dose units, lens cases and lens solution caps* and mail them to TerraCycle using a pre-paid shipping label. When the waste arrives at the TerraCycle facility, it is cleaned and melted into hard plastic pellets that can be used to make new recycled products.
For more information on the Biotrue® Eye Care Recycling program, visit https://www.biotrue.com/recycling.
About the ONE by ONE Recycling Program
Launched in November 2016 as part of a collaboration with TerraCycle, the Bausch + Lomb ONE by ONE Recycling Program is the first and only sponsored contact lens recycling program in the United States. This award-winning program collects used contact lenses, top foil and opened plastic blister packs from any brand and is available to contact lens wearers and optometrists. To date, the ONE by ONE Recycling Program has recycled nearly 40 million units or 195,000 pounds of contact lenses and packaging materials, and has more than 7,000 participating eye care practices in the program. In 2019, Bausch + Lomb repurposed the recycled waste by combining it with other recycled material to create custom training modules that were donated to the Guide Dog Foundation, a national not-for-profit that trains guide dogs for people who are blind or visually impaired. The modules, which included benches, tables, waste stations and an agility ramp, are used to train the dogs and to further enhance the organization's Smithtown, N.Y. campus for those who visit.
About TerraCycle
TerraCycle is an innovative waste management company with a mission to eliminate the idea of waste. Operating nationally across 20 countries, TerraCycle partners with leading consumer product companies, retailers and cities to recycle products and packages, from dirty diapers to cigarette butts, that would otherwise end up being landfilled or incinerated. In addition, TerraCycle works with leading consumer product companies to integrate hard to recycle waste streams, such as ocean plastic, into their products and packaging. Its new division, Loop, is the first shopping system that gives consumers a way to shop for their favorite brands in durable, reusable packaging. TerraCycle has won over 200 awards for sustainability and has donated over
About Bausch + Lomb
Bausch + Lomb, a leading global eye health business of Bausch Health Companies Inc., is solely focused on helping people see. Its core businesses include over-the-counter products, dietary supplements, eye care products, ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, contact lenses, lens care products, ophthalmic surgical devices and instruments. Bausch + Lomb develops, manufactures and markets one of the most comprehensive product portfolios in the industry, which is available in approximately 100 countries. For more information, visit www.bausch.com.
About Bausch Health
Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE/TSX: BHC) is a global company whose mission is to improve people's lives with our health care products. We develop, manufacture and market a range of pharmaceutical, medical device and over-the-counter products, primarily in the therapeutic areas of eye health, gastroenterology and dermatology. We are delivering on our commitments as we build an innovative company dedicated to advancing global health. For more information, visit www.bauschhealth.com and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Forward-looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements, which may generally be identified by the use of the words "anticipates," "hopes," "expects," "intends," "plans," "should," "could," "would," "may," "believes," "estimates," "potential," "target," or "continue" and variations or similar expressions. These statements are based upon the current expectations and beliefs of management and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risks and uncertainties discussed in Bausch Health's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and detailed from time to time in Bausch Health's other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Canadian Securities Administrators, which factors are incorporated herein by reference. They also include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties caused by or relating to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, and the fear of that pandemic and its potential effects, the severity, duration and future impact of which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, and which may have a material adverse impact on Bausch Health, including but not limited to its project development timelines, launches and costs (which may increase). Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Bausch Health undertakes no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news release or to reflect actual outcomes, unless required by law.
*Lens solution bottles can be recycled through standard recycling bins in accordance with each respective city/town's recycling guidelines.
References
1. The Association of Plastic Recyclers. "APR Design Guide"; Retrieved from: https://plasticsrecycling.org/hdpe-design-guidance. Accessed September 13, 2021.
TerraCycle is a trademark of TerraCycle Inc.
Biotrue is a trademark of Bausch & Lomb Incorporated or its affiliates.
© 2021 Bausch & Lomb Incorporated or its affiliates.
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