Let us face facts, the progression of modernization and civilization into a more technologically advanced and intellectually sound society has left us far from having the perfect vision. Ironically, we are able to see, crystals clear the possibilities of the days and years ahead of our time yet factually all we see beyond 10 feet are shadows of seemingly familiar shapes, all with blurred out details. If it is fair to say that the world once lived in the glacial ages, then today we are living in the age of visual/optometry aids (and I mean this to its literal sense).
Look around you, how many people do you see wearing some form a visual aid (spectacles or lenses)? Now try and note how many among them happen to just be young children. The results are alarming aren’t they? I have met children as young as 4 who are as blind as a bat without their little Harry Potter inspired eyeglasses and old men in their 70s who have better (unaided) eye sight then people in their 20s! My mother firmly believes the link to youths of today having weaker eyes stems with screens (TV, computer, phones, and all other visual display units) as well as food intake.
In fact, I’m inclined to agree with her because those would be the most prominent lifestyle difference between youths of today and youths of yesteryear (who just happen to be our senior citizens of today).
But facts are facts and we can’t remedy much of what is already damaged, perhaps just place hope and some refrains so that things don’t get any worse.
Now another sad truth about this optical dilemma is how it’s not just a health concern, it is also an environmental one and a very serious one at that.
Often overlooked for its environmental impact, the Optical Aid Manufacturing industry is one of the largest commercial consumers of energy and water; thereby emerging also as one of the imprinters of the deepest carbon footprints of modern times. Bear in mind that at this point we are only referring to the impact from the manufacturing process. We have yet to consider the impact from its use.
Whether it is the use of spectacles or contact lenses, both contributes to disaster in their own way. On the surface it would appear that spectacles are the lesser of both demons but that truth is a bit far stretched if you consider the fact that most are made from non-renewable/non-sustainable sources such as exotic wood, gold and plastic (unrecycled).
Contact lenses on the other hand are obviously consumed more in quantity (especially with the birth of disposables – daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, yearly etc) and they come attached with the indispensible use of contact lenses solutions and carrying case. Yes, it would seem logical to assume that the disposables lenses will have lesser impact than other lenses because it would require less to none of the use of its partner solution, but it makes up for that ‘loss’ through the creation of more contact lenses packaging waste. And what about the bio-degradability of the contact lenses themselves?
They may be tiny but multiply that by the number of people who actually use them (include those who do it for pure cosmetic reasons too) and it will all paint a very frightening picture. And what happens when they aren’t disposed of properly (perhaps ending up in the stomach of an unknowing bird?)?
Sadly there is no clear cut way to solve the issue unless we are able to rid the world of vision disorders (I’m not even sure if surgery is a feasible solution). As far as I know, there are not yet any clearly stamped ‘eco-friendly contact lenses’ available on the market. The closest to eco-friendly is the contact lenses solution by Clear Conscience which is a Multi-Purpose Solution that is cruelty-free, thimerosal-free, chlorhexidine-free, FDA approved, sterilized by filtration (no radiation applied) and comes packed in recyclable spill-proof plastic bottles. Other than that, companies are taking steps to making the manufacturing process itself a more sustainable and eco-responsible one – not a perfect solution but better it’s still a step for the better.
In terms of spectacles (eyeglasses) there appears to be more feasible active steps being taken. Many companies/brands (Amy Sacks, Jhane Barnes, ICUeyewear, iwood) are now turning to recycled and sustainable materials for manufacture.
Remember, when you’re preserving your eyesight, you’re not just doing it for yourself, you’re doing it for Mother Earth.
