Following their launch in the 1980’s, soft daily contact lenses revolutionised eyecare. There is no doubt about that. Better for sports and lifestyle for many than glasses, more comfortable than the old hard GP lenses and, as they took off, prices fell and they became an affordable part of daily routines.

30 years on, the environmental cost of millions of wearers around the world flushing their lenses down toilets or putting then down sinks, is starting to appear. 730+ lenses and their packaging are disposed of by each person every year. Too small to be caught by the filters it is believed that billions (maybe trillions?) of lenses are now dreaded micro-plastics in the seas and oceans around the world. Accidental pollution, most people who flush them away have no concept of the harm that they have been contributing to. How could such a tiny lens cause any harm?

The answer is that billions of lenses = tons of plastic.