Optometrists are asking households to donate their pre-loved glasses to those in need ahead of Christmas.
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An online survey commissioned by Specsavers Australia found that out of more than 1000 respondents, 75 per cent had 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 could be used by those in need.
Specsavers Goulburn has set a goal to collect 200,000 pairs of glasses before Christmas. To put that into perspective, if the glasses were placed end to end, they could stretch from the Big Merino to Marulan.
Specsavers Goulburn retail partner, Kara Hill, said the Christmas period was a fantastic time to think about donating glasses.
"We see a huge influx of people wanting to use their health insurance benefits to purchase a new pair of glasses," she 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 now into their fourth year of the recycling program, which sees quality glasses and sunglasses being delivered to people in need overseas.
In 2018, Lions Recycle for Sight sent 334,860 pairs of refurbished spectacles to 20 destinations overseas.
According to the World Health Organisation, one billion people worldwide are living with vision impairment despite having treatable conditions such as short and far sightedness, glaucoma, and cataracts.
The Specsavers survey also revealed that almost one in five Australians will be purchasing a new pair of optical or sunglasses this year. While some discarded specs will collect dust, as many as one in four 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," Ms Hill said.
"It's such a great feeling being able to tangibly see the impact that you're making."
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.
You can donate your glasses in store at Specsavers Goulburn Shop 1&2, The Belmore Centre, 210 Auburn St, Goulburn.
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