BIGGER THAN BOTTLES

Make a meaningful, measurable difference through plastic neutrality

Plastic is an essential material we all rely on in our daily lives. How plastic is made, and how it is disposed of can impact our environment. Every year, an estimated total eight million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean—that’s equivalent to a garbage truck of plastic every minute.¹

Since 2021, we have partnered with Plastic Bank to offset a portion of our plastic footprint by tackling ocean-bound plastic waste in hundreds of coastal communities where plastic pollution and poverty rates are at an all-time high.^2-4 By teaming up with Plastic Bank, we’re able to not only take strides to address plastic’s disposal but we’re also able to help address socioeconomic disparities in these communities – helping to better the world around us and empowering a brighter future for People + Planet.^2,5-7

More than a milestone

Through our partnership with Plastic Bank, we fund the collection and recycling of ocean-bound plastic equivalent to the weight of plastic used across our range of participating soft contact lenses, including the lens, blister and packaging components, that are sold and distributed across 27 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.^*2

Learn more about our partnership with Plastic Bank, including the amount of plastic bottles we have prevented from entering the world's oceans since inception, and how we are improving lives.

Vision Care Program

Furthermore, Plastic Bank has established a vision care program to provide vision screenings and vouchers for complimentary eye examinations and glasses for eligible Plastic Bank collection members.⁹ The positive impact of improved vision has been linked to helping reduce poverty, support economic opportunities, and improve educational outcomes.¹⁰

Today. Tomorrow. Together.

We are the first contact lens manufacturer to provide a full range of plastic neutral soft contact lenses.¹¹ By simply prescribing and wearing plastic neutral contact lenses, our eye care professionals and wearers are helping us in our commitment to sustainability as we strive to transform and improve the well-being of People + Planet.²

CREATING A WAVE OF CHANGE

As we work to offset waste from our products and packaging that cannot yet be claimed, innovators like Carol Herring have a pivotal impact.

LEARN MORE

 

* Plastic used in participating CooperVision soft contact lens products is determined by the weight of plastic in the blister, the lens, and the secondary package, including laminates, adhesives, and auxiliary inputs (e.g. ink). The determination does not include plastic used during the manufacturing process for both these products and their packaging.
† CooperVision, through its collaboration with Plastic Bank, has collected and converted approximately 5.3M kg of plastic destined for waterways as of January 2024. Using Plastic Bank's metric of 1kg of plastic equaling 50 standard 202mm bottles, that will be the equivalent of approximately 263.7M plastic bottles not reaching our oceans.
‡ An annual supply of CooperVision 1 Day contact lenses is defined as 720 contact lenses expressed as the equivalent of eight 90-day packs, four packs each for the right and left eyes.

References:
1. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2020, https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/united-states-contributions-to-global-ocean-plastic-waste.
2. CVI data on file, 2024.
3. Plastic Bank. https://plasticbank.com/what-is-plastic-bank-all-about-and-how-can-i-get-involved/. Accessed Jan 25th 2024.
4. CVI data on file as of 1/2024.
5. CVI data on file, 2023.
6. Plastic Bank. https://plasticbank.com/impact-programs/. Accessed Jan 25th 2024.
7. Plastic Bank. https://plasticbank.com/about/. Accessed Jan 25th 2024.
8. Plastic Bank. https://plasticbank.com/how-social-recycling-is-saving-the-ocean-and-improving-lives/. Accessed Jan 25th 2024.
9. Plastic Bank data on file, 2024.
10. Zhang et al. "Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals through improving eye health: a scoping review," The Lancet Planetary Health. March 2022. (6) 274 & 278.
11. CVI data on file, 2021, 2020-2020 Plastic Bank Contract Agreement.

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