JOHNSON & JOHNSON VISION EXPANDS CONTACT LENS RECYCLING PROGRAMME AS SURVEY REVEALS MAJORITY OF WEARERS ARE UNAWARE OF RECYCLING OPTIONS
Launching in Boots Opticians and all independent practices, the ACUVUE Contact Lens Recycle Programme continues to encourage more patients to dispose of their contact lenses sustainably
27thJune 2022, London – Johnson & Johnson Vision, a global leader in eye health and part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech*, today announced the continued expansion of its ACUVUE Contact Lens Recycle Programme. After launching the first nationwide contact lens recycling scheme in 2019, new survey findings reveal most contact lens wearers (58%) are still unaware that they can recycle their lenses1.
This survey found most contact lens wearers are disposing of their contacts through non-sustainable means, with more than half (57%) throwing lenses in the waste bin, and one in five (20%) flushing them down the toilet or sink. Only just over a third (39%) said they are recycling their contact lenses1.
To help build awareness and make contact lens recycling more easily accessible, Johnson & Johnson Vision is making a series of updates to its ACUVUE Contact Lens Recycle Programme, including:
- Partnering with TerraCycle and their Zero Waste Boxes – currently available to all practices, the waste boxes provide a simple solution for storing, shipping and recycling contact lens waste – including the lenses themselves, along with the original foil covers and blister packaging.
- Johnson & Johnson Vision will be funding 3,500 Zero Waste Boxes in 2022 – enough capacity to recycle ~5.6M lenses, blister packs and foils.
- Zero Waste Boxes will be distributed to partnering opticians’ stores to provide nationwide access to contact lens recycling for consumers.
The changes are being implemented to facilitate greater engagement in the programme and increase the volume of contact lenses going into recycling systems across the UK by up to 25%. Launching in Boots Opticians and select independent practices, the scheme has helped recycle over 8.5 million pairs of contact lenses, blister packs and foil covers to date.2
Jakob Sveen, Managing Director, Northern Europe and General Manager UK & Ireland at Johnson & Johnson Vision said; “At Johnson & Johnson Vision, we’re passionate about sustainability and minimising our impact on the planet. The results of this latest survey reveal lens wearers don’t realise they can dispose of contacts sustainably but would be keen to do so if they knew how.
We want to help patients realise they can enjoy wearing contact lenses whilst being sustainable, ensuring plastic isn’t making its way into our oceans or landfill. We are determined to continue tackling key issues that affect us all, from recycling and reducing our carbon footprint, to optimizing our packaging.”
As of 2022, all ACUVUE brand contact lenses are made using 100% renewable energy3, helping the business achieve its global climate goal of sourcing 100% of its electricity needs from renewable energy three years early.
For more information about the ACUVUE Contact Lens Recycle Programme visit www.acuvue.co.uk/recycle. More information on Johnson & Johnson Vision sustainability efforts is also available at www.acuvue.com/sustainability.
Notes to editors
The research was conducted by March 2022 and is based on a survey fielded among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults. The online survey was fielded by FH TRUE Global Intelligence in partnership with Vitreous World. Results are reported at the 95% confidence level with a margin of error of +/- 2.2%.
About Johnson & Johnson Vision
At Johnson & Johnson Vision, part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech*, we have a bold ambition: to change the trajectory of eye health worldwide. Through our operating companies, we deliver innovation that enables eye care professionals to create better outcomes for patients throughout their lives, with products and technologies that address unmet needs including refractive error, cataracts, and dry eye. In communities with greatest need, we work in collaboration to expand access to quality eye care, and we are committed to helping people see better, connect better, live better. Visit us at jjvision.com, follow @JNJVision on Twitter, Johnson & Johnson Vision on LinkedIn, and @JNJVision on Facebook.
About Johnson & Johnson MedTech
At Johnson & Johnson MedTech, we unleash diverse healthcare expertise, purposeful technology, and a passion for people to transform the future of medical intervention and empower everyone to live their best life possible. For more than a century, we have driven breakthrough scientific innovation to address unmet needs and reimagine health. In surgery, orthopaedics, vision, and interventional solutions, we continue to help save lives and create a future where healthcare solutions are smarter, less invasive, and more personalized.
ACUVUE is a registered trademark of Johnson & Johnson
© Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. 2022
*Johnson & Johnson MedTech comprises the surgery, orthopaedics, vision and interventional solutions businesses within Johnson & Johnson’s MedTech segment.
1 11-question online survey of 2,000 UK adults, via TRUE Global Intelligence in partnership with Vitreous World, March 2022
2 JJV Data on File. TerraCycle® Monthly Recycling Report Data Jan 2019 – June 2022
3 Visit: https://www.jjvision.com/press-release/johnson-johnson-vision-reinforces-sustainability-commitment
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