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THE BIGGEST TRENDS + NEWS YOU CAN USE

EARTH MATTERS

Ever wonder if there was a better way to dispose of contact lenses and their accompanying top foil and blister packs? With billions of daily and extended wear contact lenses sold—and used by consumers—each year, this is a truly viable question today.

Bausch + Lomb asked this same question and, as a result, has debuted its revolutionary ONE by ONE recycling program in partnership with TerraCycle, a leader in the collection and repurposing of hard-to-recycle post-consumer waste.

Contact lens wearers and eyecare practices can now recycle used Bausch + Lomb contact lenses (as well as all other contact lenses)—including top foil and blister packs—through the unique and totally free ONE by ONE program.

The program employs simple steps: collect contact lens waste into a provided box (ECPs who sign up will receive a recycling bin, and patients can request an at-home recycling convenience pack), print the free shipping label from the BauschRecycles.com website, and ship to TerraCycle.

Eyecare businesses that sign up for the program will be listed on the TerraCycle website’s ONE by ONE page as a provider that offers contact lens waste recycling. The program will also be promoted heavily to consumers around Earth Day 2017 (April 22).

Bonus: For every pound of contact lens waste recycled, Bausch & Lomb will donate $1 to Optometry Giving Sight.

Learn more at BauschRecycles.com.

—Erinn Morgan

How Does Your Community See?

A look at the country’s Top 10 (and Bottom 10) eye-healthy cities

cleveland may have won an NBA championship and made it to the World Series, but its residents seem to pay far less attention to their eyeballs than basketballs and baseballs. Meanwhile, Reno is proving itself to be “Biggest Little City in the World” when it comes to eye health.

These cities earned worst and first, respectively, on the 2016 Eye Health Index, as reported by VSP Vision Care. The Eye Health Index reviews tens of millions of VSP claims from more than 100 U.S. metro areas to identify which cities are the most focused on maintaining their eye health by getting annual eye exams.

The rankings were determined by looking at the percentage of VSP members who received an eye exam in 2015 in cities with at least 100,000 VSP members. (VSP provides vision benefits to one in five Americans.)

VSP’s study found some silver lining in the clouds of those bottom 10 cities: The younger residents are stepping it up when it comes to eye care. While Bakersfield, Merced, Stockton, Albuquerque, and Salinas are some of the least eye-healthy overall, they rank among the cities where the highest percentage of residents under 17 are receiving eye exams.

Why is this important? Knowing where their region ranks may motivate ECPs to step up community education efforts to raise awareness of the importance of regular eye exams.

Are residents of your city aware of the importance of seeing eyecare professionals, or is there still some education to be done?

—Susan Tarrant

TOP 10 EYE-HEALTHY CITIES:

1. Reno, NV

2. Boise, ID

3. Oklahoma City, OK

4. Des Moines, IA

5. Raleigh, NC

6. Redding, CA

7. Colorado Springs, CO

8. Fayetteville, AR

9. Denver, CO

10. Tulsa, OK

10 LEAST EYE-HEALTHY CITIES:

1. Cleveland, OH

2. Bakersfield, CA

3. Merced, CA

4. Akron, OH

5. Albuquerque, NM

6. Detroit, MI

7. Stockton, CA

8. Santa Rosa, CA

9. Bridgeport, CT

10. Salinas, CA

Source: VSP Vision Care’s 2016 Eye Health Index

High Tech Rules

high-tech vision solutions took center stage as a record 780 exhibitors and 15,000 buyers (from 100 countries and regions) filled the halls of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) Hong Kong Optical Fair last month. The 24th annual show, held Nov. 9-11, was co-organized by the Hong Kong Optical Manufacturer’s Association.

Technology propelled the lens and frame categories, and the Optical Fair featured many lenses with built-in blue light protection, including those from Hong Kong-based SWISSCOAT Lens Laboratory. A number of eyewear brands also showed off their 3D printing chops, including German brands ic! berlin and Morgenrot.

The fair also featured augmented reality applications, such as Faceme AR Glasses that enable users to virtually “try on” glasses by simply looking at the screen. And, Austrian brand Swarovski Optik launched binoculars that connect a smart phone to the product to easily see and record images.

Key eyewear design trends emerging from the show’s nine product zones include exotic floral prints, eco-focused and bio-based materials, and circle silhouettes, many with bold cuts and graphic patterns.

INFO: HKOPTICALFAIR.HKTDC.COM

3D-printed ic! berlin frame on display

Attendees check out the latest trends and technology in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

Virtual try-on screens from Faceme AR offer new dispensing solutions

The Optical Fair’s Eyewear Parades showcase the latest trends and brands

—Susan Tarrant