Like millions across the United States, I gathered outside with all of my friends to watch the solar eclipse. We drove to an area that had ninety-nine totality and sat outside enjoying nature and the finally warm weather. We all had our solar eclipse glasses and got to enjoy the day listening to bad renditions of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler and joking about what people before science thought was happening whenever there was an eclipse. We wondered how many poor women had been accused of being a witch because of the eclipse. Throughout the day, the sky got dimmer and dimmer as if it were cloudy, but we could see the sun. The glasses allowed us to see the moon slowly covering the sun, but without them you would have no idea it was happening. When the total eclipse finally happened, we got to watch the sky darken as if it was 9 pm. We got to remove our glasses and admire the eclipse. The moon, dark with a halo of light behind it. Stars illuminated the sky. Eventually, the moon kept orbiting and the sky lit up as if nothing happened. We carried about our day leaving our solar eclipse glasses discarded in the trash, recycling, or if you are like me, still sitting in the cup holder in my car.
I saw so many news articles and reporters talking about the importance of getting the glasses so you did not damage your eyes, but I saw no one talk about what you should do with the glasses when you are done. Are they recyclable? Do you throw them away? Is there an organization that collects them? I did not know.
When I did research, I got mixed results. Some websites say that the glasses are recyclable. Some said they were not because the lenses are not recyclable. Some websites said if you removed the lenses, you could recycle them. However, there are a few organizations that you can donate your glasses to that will distribute the glasses to countries where they do not have access to the millions of glasses, we had here in the states the next time the eclipse happens. Astronomers Without Boarders collects these glasses by mail or at one of their local drop off spaces. They collected glasses from the 2017 solar eclipse and were able to distribute three hundred thousand of them across the world for the 2024 eclipse. If you still have your solar eclipse glasses, consider donating them to Astronomers Without Boarders. They are happy to cover the shipping cost if that is a concern for you. I wish there had been more media attention about this organization and a greater focus on what to-do after the solar eclipse and hope to see that in the future.
Astronomers Without Boarders Information:
Email: collectionnode@astronomerswithoutborders.org
Drop Off locations in Ohio:
Barberton Public Library
Greene County Public Library (7 locations)
Bowling Green City Schools
Washington-Centerville Public Library
Redeemer Christian School
Carnegie Public Library
**The City of Grandview Heights and Sustainable Grandview
Fairfield County Health Department in Lancaster
Kristina J Danielak, DDS
Napoleon Public Library
Athens-Hocking Solid Waste District
Firelands FFA – Firelands High School
Shores & Islands Ohio
Keep Toledo/Lucas County Beautiful
Miami County Solid Waste District
Twinsburg Public Library
**Closet to Campus
Link to the website with addresses: https://astronomerswithoutborders.org/programs/solar-glasses-distribution#collection_node
Sources:
Jarosik, Jamie, and Channing King. “Eclipse Glasses Can’t Be Recycled, but You Could Give Them a Future.” WDTN.Com, WDTN.com, 5 Apr. 2024, www.wdtn.com/eclipse-2024/eclipse-glasses-cant-be-recycled-but-you-could-give-them-a-future/.
Palmer, Kim. “What to Do with Your Eclipse Glasses Now That It’s All Over.” Crain’s Cleveland, 8 Apr. 2024, www.crainscleveland.com/eclipse/places-recycle-solar-eclipse-glasses.
Rick.Fienberg. “How to Recycle Leftover Eclipse Glasses.” Solar Eclipse Across America, 12 Apr. 2024, eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/recycle-donate.
Shelton, Beatrice. “What to Do with Leftover Solar Eclipse Glasses.” American Academy of Ophthalmology, 8 Apr. 2024, www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/what-to-do-with-leftover-solar-eclipse-glasses.