Community
26 December, 2022
Donate your old specs for a good cause
OPTOMETRISTS across the country are asking the people of Cairns to donate their pre-loved glasses to help communities in need.
New research has found that, on average, 75 per cent of Australian households have at least one pair of optical glasses or sunglasses lying around at home that they no longer use.
This equates to a whopping 36 million pairs of unused optical glasses or sunglasses across the country that those in need could use.
With Christmas eve coming this weekend, it is the perfect time to help Specsavers Cairns reach their goal of collecting 200,000 pairs of glasses.
To put that into perspective, if the glasses were placed end to end, they could stretch from Cairns Aquarium to Ellis Beach.
Local Cairns Specsavers retail partner Lee McCrea said that this time of year is a fantastic time to consider donating glasses.
“We see a huge influx of people wanting to use their health insurance benefits to purchase a new pair of glasses,” Ms McCrea said.
“We’d love to see more people donating their old specs in-store so they can benefit people in need.”
In partnership with Lions Recycle for Sight, Specsavers is in its fourth year of the recycling program, which sees quality glasses and sunglasses delivered to people in need overseas.
Additional research shows that almost one in five Aussies, the equivalent of 3.5 million Australians, will be purchasing a new pair of optical or sunglasses this year – adding to the older or pre-loved glasses sitting at home, which are perfect for donating.
While some discarded specs will collect dust, as many as one in four, or 4.5 million people, are simply just throwing them in the bin.
“We’ve loved being able to directly work with the community in helping them to recycle their older pairs of glasses. It’s such a great feeling – being able to tangibly see the impact that you’re making,” Ms McCrea said.
All pre-loved glasses that are sent to Lions Recycle for Sight from Specsavers are quality tested, cleaned, categorised and boxed according to prescription.
The best of the glasses collected are provided to charity, while the rest of the glasses are recycled.
To donate any of your own pre-loved glasses in-store, visit Specsavers Cairns at Level 1 Shop 128-129 Cairns Central S/C, Spence St, Cairns City, or visit www.specsavers.com.au/stores for more information.
