Bausch + Lomb Reports More Than 94 Million Units of Contact Lenses, Lens Care and Eye Care Materials Collected Through ONE By ONE and Biotrue® Eye Care Recycling Programs

Rhea-AI Summary

Bausch + Lomb (NYSE/TSX: BLCO) announced significant achievements in its recycling initiatives, with its ONE by ONE Recycling and Biotrue Eye Care Recycling programs collecting over 94 million units (569,743 pounds) of used contact lenses, eye care, and lens care materials in the United States. This recycling effort addresses a important environmental concern, as an estimated 6-10 metric tons of contact lenses end up in wastewater annually in the US. The programs, operated in collaboration with TerraCycle, help prevent these materials from ending up in landfills or waterways, where they could potentially impact aquatic environments and the human food supply.

Positive

• Successfully collected over 94 million units of eye care materials through recycling programs
• Established effective partnership with TerraCycle for hard-to-recycle waste management
• Demonstrated environmental leadership in addressing industry-specific waste challenges

Negative

• None.

Insights

Environmental Sustainability Analyst

The recycling program achievements, while environmentally commendable, have minimal direct financial impact on Bausch + Lomb's business operations or stock value. The collection of 94.1 million units of eye care materials demonstrates corporate social responsibility but doesn't materially affect revenue or profitability. The initiative may provide modest brand value and customer loyalty benefits, particularly among environmentally conscious consumers and practitioners, but these are difficult to quantify in financial terms.

The program addresses a real environmental concern, with 6-10 metric tons of contact lenses entering wastewater annually in the US. However, the cost of running these recycling programs through TerraCycle is likely minimal relative to BLCO's overall operating expenses. While this initiative aligns with ESG objectives and may appeal to institutional investors focused on sustainability metrics, it's not a significant driver of stock performance or company valuation.

VAUGHAN, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Bausch + Lomb Corporation (NYSE/TSX: BLCO), a leading global eye health company dedicated to helping people see better to live better, today announced its exclusive ONE by ONE Recycling and Biotrue Eye Care Recycling programs have collected a total of 94,119,275 units*, or 569,743 pounds, of used contact lenses, eye care and lens care materials in the United States. That’s equivalent to the weight of roughly 690 polar bears¹.

“Our unique recycling programs continue to be popular with environmentally conscious eye care professionals, patients and consumers,” said Amy Butler, vice president, Global Environment, Health, Safety, and Sustainability, Bausch + Lomb. “The collective success of these programs proves that simple acts can have a significant impact and create lasting habits.”

Due to their small size and the type of plastic used to manufacture them, contact lenses, eye care and lens care materials aren’t efficiently processed in standard recycling facilities and may inadvertently end up in landfills or waterways. In the United States, it is estimated that six to 10 metric tons of contact lenses end up in wastewater each year, which can pollute aquatic environments and eventually impact the human food supply.

“Our practice has relied on Bausch + Lomb’s ONE by ONE Recycling and Biotrue Eye Care Recycling programs for years,” said Jennifer Tsai, OD, LINE OF SIGHT, New York. “It’s rewarding to be a part of an initiative that aligns with our practice’s focus on sustainability.”

Bausch + Lomb has a similar contact lens recycling program in Canada called Every Contact Counts. All three programs are made possible through a collaboration with TerraCycle^®, a world leader in the collection and recycling of hard-to-recycle waste.

Bausch + Lomb is committed to implementing, maintaining and enhancing sustainable business practices that support eye care professionals, patients, consumers, employees and communities around the world. Its impact initiatives are measured against several key environmental metrics called “FEWW” – fuel, energy, water and waste. Each Bausch + Lomb facility has annualized goals against these metrics to harness new opportunities and evolve in a sustainable way as it continues its mission of helping people see better to live better. Visit www.bausch.com/impact for more information.

About the ONE by ONE Recycling Program
The Bausch + Lomb ONE by ONE Recycling program is the first and only contact lens recycling program in the United States. This program collects used contact lenses, top foils and opened plastic blister packs from any brand and is available to contact lens wearers and eye care professionals. To participate, contact lens wearers can bring their used contact lenses and packaging to official ONE by ONE eye care practice recycling locations, which collect the used materials in a custom recycling bin provided by Bausch + Lomb. Once the bin is filled, the optometry practice ships the materials using a Bausch + Lomb pre-paid shipping label to TerraCycle where it is cleaned and melted into hard plastic pellets that can be used to make new recycled products. To learn more about the Bausch + Lomb ONE by ONE Recycling program, visit www.BauschRecycles.com.

About the Biotrue Eye Care Recycling Program
The Bausch + Lomb Biotrue Eye Care Recycling program is the first and only eye care and lens care recycling program in the United States. This program allows consumers who participate to properly recycle all brands of their eye drop single dose units, lens cases and lens solution caps, as well as all Biotrue-branded eye drops bottles. Once consumers collect these items, they can be mailed 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. To learn more about the Biotrue Eye Care Recycling program, visit www.biotrue.com/terracycle/.

About Bausch + Lomb
Bausch + Lomb is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the gift of sight for millions of people around the world – from birth through every phase of life. Its comprehensive portfolio of approximately 400 products includes contact lenses, lens care products, eye care products, ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter products and ophthalmic surgical devices and instruments. Founded in 1853, Bausch + Lomb has a significant global research and development, manufacturing and commercial footprint with approximately 13,000 employees and a presence in nearly 100 countries. Bausch + Lomb is headquartered in Vaughan, Ontario, with corporate offices in Bridgewater, New Jersey. For more information, visit www.bausch.com and connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

*Estimated based on weight.

References

1. https://a-z-animals.com/blog/the-largest-polar-bear-weighted-as-much-a-fishing-boat-3-reasons-it-grew-so-large/ 

© 2024 Bausch + Lomb.
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Media:

Kristy Marks

kristy.marks@bausch.com

(908) 927-0683

Source: Bausch + Lomb Corporation

FAQ

How many units of eye care materials has Bausch + Lomb (BLCO) collected through its recycling programs?

Bausch + Lomb has collected 94,119,275 units, equivalent to 569,743 pounds, of used contact lenses, eye care and lens care materials in the United States through its ONE by ONE and Biotrue Eye Care Recycling programs.

What is the environmental impact of contact lens waste according to Bausch + Lomb (BLCO)?

According to the report, six to 10 metric tons of contact lenses end up in wastewater each year in the United States, potentially polluting aquatic environments and impacting the human food supply.

Which recycling programs does Bausch + Lomb (BLCO) currently operate in the United States?

Bausch + Lomb operates two recycling programs in the United States: the ONE by ONE Recycling program and the Biotrue Eye Care Recycling program, both in collaboration with TerraCycle.