May 9, 2023 — Alcon has expanded its partnership with Plastic Bank, an organization that builds recycling ecosystems in underdeveloped communities. For each ton of plastic introduced in the marketplace, Plastic Bank aims to collect an equivalent amount of ocean-bound plastic in coastal communities.
 
Alcon plans to support the removal of more than 990,000 kg of plastic in 2023—the equivalent of preventing more than 49 million plastic bottles from reaching the ocean. This year, Alcon shares that this partnership with help more than 330 collection communities—places where collection members exchange the plastic they collect for benefits like health insurance, grocery vouchers, and school supplies.
 
“While single-use plastics are essential to the safety and convenience of medical products, we strive to minimize their impact on the environment by supporting important initiatives like this program with Plastic Bank,’” says Charles Herget, head of environmental, social, and governance at Alcon.
 
With this expanded partnership, Alcon aims to offset waste with the products in its surgical and vision care portfolio. Last year, Plastic Bank helped Alcon offset the plastic equivalent of more than 32 million plastic bottles. (Specifically, 30 million bottles offset Alcon’s plastic footprint from its Dailies Total1 and Percision1 vision care products, and two million offset the plastic used in its Ultrasert and AutonoMe preloaded intraocular lens delivery systems.)
 
Additionally, Alcon developed the Green Innovations Surgical Team program to work toward eliminating up to 90% of packaging and shipping waste across the company’s major global products.
 
For more information: alcon.com.