The highly anticipated solar eclipse has come and gone, leaving stargazers wondering what to do with their now-unused viewing glasses. As Bonnie Tyler’s famous song “Total Eclipse of the Heart” played in the background, millions of people across the nation’s heartland experienced the last total solar eclipse in North America for the next 20 years. Now, it’s time to properly dispose of those safety glasses.
The best recommendation by the New York City’s Office of Emergency Management is to donate your eclipse glasses. Not only does this allow others to experience the wonder of a solar eclipse safely, but it also helps underserved communities that may not have access to this type of eyewear. Astronomers Without Borders, a renowned organization, has partnered with Warby Parker, making the eyeglass store a designated drop-off zone for eclipse shades throughout April. Millions of glasses were donated after the 2017 eclipse, and Astronomers Without Borders aims to continue providing hundreds of thousands of glasses to countries like Chile, Argentina, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines.
If you choose not to donate your glasses, another option is simple recycling. Just make sure to punch out the protective film before recycling them. Recycling ensures that the materials used in the manufacturing of these glasses can be repurposed for other products, reducing waste and benefiting the environment.
For those who are sentimentally attached to their eclipse glasses or hope to witness future solar eclipses, there is good news. Undamaged eclipse glasses do not expire, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Therefore, you can hold onto them for the next main solar eclipse event on August 23, 2044. Additionally, a total solar eclipse is set to occur on August 12, 2045.
So whether you choose to donate your glasses and bring joy to others or keep them safely stored away for future celestial events, there are plenty of options for what to do with your unused solar eclipse viewing glasses. Remember, the eclipse may be over, but the excitement and wonder it brought will last a lifetime.
