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Wearing expired contact lenses is unsafe. Old lenses can damage your eyes or cause an infection, so you must dispose of them. This may feel wasteful, even if the package is unopened, but the risk of infection is too high.
Why Expired Contacts and Solution Are Unsafe
Expired contacts are unsafe because the sterile seal and packaging can degrade over time. If the package is compromised, the lens is no longer guaranteed to be sterile. Wearing a non-sterile lens can lead to serious eye infections, such as microbial keratitis, which can cause pain and vision loss. Lens material itself can break down past its expiration date. This makes the lens brittle or prone to tearing, which causes friction and damage to the cornea during wear.
Expired contact lens solution is also not safe for your eyes. When a solution expires, it loses its power to effectively clean and disinfect your contacts. Disinfecting agents, such as hydrogen peroxide or preservatives, lose their efficacy over time. A compromised solution can transfer bacteria to your eyes, causing irritation or infections. The risk of infection is higher when using both expired solution and expired contacts.
How to Dispose of Lenses and Solution
Correct disposal protects your eye health and the environment. Contact lenses break down into microplastics, which means they must be handled carefully to avoid contaminating the water supply.
Disposing of Lenses
Do not rinse contacts down the sink or flush them down the toilet. Contact lens material, regardless of its type (hydrogel or silicone hydrogel), is a polymer that will not fully break down in the water system. Take the contact lenses out of their blister packaging. Throw the contact lenses away with your non-recyclable trash. This is the simplest way to prevent plastic from entering the water system.
Disposing of Solution
Expired contact solution should be poured down the drain, allowing the water to run for a minute afterward. The small concentration of chemicals in the solution is safe to dispose of this way. You should first check the bottle to see if there are any specific disposal instructions from the manufacturer.
Can Expired Contacts Be Donated or Recycled?
You should never wear or donate expired lenses. However, you can reduce waste by recycling the components through special programs.
Donation Rules
Expired contacts cannot be donated because they carry the risk of infection. If you want to donate unused contacts, they must be given before their expiration date. After that, programs will automatically dispose of them for safety. Some types of contacts, such as toric lenses, may not be accepted by certain donation programs because their individualized prescription does not transfer easily to another person.
Recycling Programs
Expired contact lenses can be recycled, but only through special programs. Contacts should never be put in with your regular recycling because municipal programs cannot process them. The small size of the lens causes it to fall out of the filtration system.
Some recycling programs, like the Bausch + Lomb One by One Recycling Program, accept specific components. You should always check the program’s rules before submitting items.
Look for a program from the manufacturer to reduce your contribution to landfills. Recycling the cardboard boxes and plastic solution bottles separately may also be an option through your curbside program.
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Commitment to Clear Vision
Discarding unused contacts or solution can feel like waste, but it is a direct commitment to your eye health. Using expired products risks infection, which causes pain and requires medical treatment.
By understanding the proper disposal and recycling steps, you protect both your vision and the environment. Consistent hygiene and adherence to replacement schedules are the best way to maintain clear, comfortable vision year-round.
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