Recycle your old specs and help others see

If like me your eyesight has changed considerably over a few short years you may, also like me, have drawers full of old spectacles.

What to do with them?

Throwing them out seems such a waste, especially considering the initial cost. However help is at hand as there are services that will happily accept your old spectacles and put them to good use.

In the U.K. Vision Aid Overseas will jump at the chance of recycling your old specs. As their website asks "Did you know that 10% of the world's population are disabled because they don't have spectacles?" Now that is bad news in the 21st Century. It goes on to list:

• 13 million children worldwide are visually impaired because they do not have spectacles to wear
• Without good eyesight children miss their one and only opportunity at getting an education

The website also asks if you can help by making a small donation but do not worry if you cannot. Just get all those old pairs of spectacles rounded up and donated.

There are many collection points around the U.K.

The website offers a postcode checker to locate your nearest collection centre.

For me there are many close by and a couple in our City centre. They are located at shops providing an optician service and this includes some ASDA supermarkets.

You can also consider reusing your frames the next time your prescription for glasses changes but that is not always practical.

Many frames these days are not easy to adapt but you could always ask the optician.

​You can learn more about vision aid overseas, fundraising or leaving a legacy at the following link.

Most of us take our good eyesight for granted until it begins to fail. However in the U.K. we have easy access to optician services and ophthalmologists when needed. We are much luckier than some people overseas so why not share your good fortune by helping out Vision Aid with your old specs?

If you are creative and have tons of old specs and cases get creative. Who knows what you could make but make sure you help out Vision Aid Overseas first.