Eyeglasses Trash Consider Donation Check with your optometrist to see if they accept eyeglasses for donation. Visit Athens’ Material Reuse page for additional donation ideas. Ways to Reduce Switch Out the Lenses If you’re in need of a new prescription, try reusing the frames from your old glasses. Simply ask your eyeglasses store to switch out the lenses for a new prescription if it’s possible. Ways to Reuse Lions Club Give eyeglasses, sunglasses, reading glasses or frames to Lions Club International, an organization that distributes glasses to people in need throughout the world. Learn how to donate your glasses here. Did You Know? Contacts vs. Eyeglasses: Which Is More Eco-Friendly? There’s no obvious winner when deciding whether contact lenses or glasses are more eco-friendly. Glasses last longer and contain less packaging than contact lenses, but they also require more resources.