SAN RAMON, Calif.—To provide an easy way for eyecare professionals and their patients to be more sustainable, on Monday CooperVision announced a partnership with Plastic Bank that makes its clariti 1 day portfolio of lenses the first net plastic neutral contact lenses, according to the announcement. The move also expands the company’s commitment to making a positive impact on the environment. Plastic Bank is a social enterprise that builds ethical recycling ecosystems in coastal communities, reprocessing the materials for reintroduction into the global supply chain.

Collectors receive a premium for the materials they collect, which helps them provide basic family necessities such as groceries, cooking fuel, school tuition, and health insurance, the announcement noted.

For every box of clariti 1 day distributed in the U.S., CooperVision funds the collection, processing and reuse of general plastic waste that is equal to the weight of the plastic contained in clariti 1 day lenses and packaging.

“Our dedication to the good of the planet has become central to how CooperVision operates. We have a strong record of sustainable manufacturing and operations, focused on areas in which we can make the greatest impact,” Melissa Kiewe, vice president of marketing, Americas, CooperVision, said.

“Plastic plays a critical role in the hygienic delivery and sterile protection of our contact lenses, and how that plastic is managed is important to us. The commitment to making clariti 1 day net plastic neutral is the next step in CooperVision’s sustainability journey—and provides a unique opportunity for eyecare professionals to offer even more value to their patients.”

“Plastic Bank works with like-minded and sustainability driven partners to stop ocean plastic and improve lives,” founder and chief executive officer David Katz said. “Together, with CooperVision, we’re offering the eyecare industry the opportunity to make a lasting environmental, social and economic impact.”

Research shows that U.S. consumers are paying more attention to the sustainability practices of the companies with which they choose to do business. A 2020 survey by The Recycling Partnership revealed that 70 percent of Americans would go out of their way to support a company that makes strong efforts to be sustainable.

In addition, a recent survey commissioned by CooperVision revealed that 93 percent of U.S. eyecare professionals agree that keeping plastic out of the oceans is important to them, and 84 percent agree that manufacturers need to take responsibility for the waste they create.

“Our practice takes many small measures to be as sustainable as possible, as it’s important to my staff, my patients, and me. The clariti 1 day family have always been my go-to lenses in my practice due to the ocular health benefits and the clear, crisp, comfortable vision they provide to my patients,” said Jennifer Stewart, OD, of Norwalk Eye Care in Norwalk, Conn.

Kiewe added, “clariti 1 day is CooperVision’s most prescribed 1-day contact lens. It already delivers high performance and incredible everyday value, but it now offers the opportunity for a better future—for our planet and the people who live on it. By simply fitting and wearing clariti 1 day, it’s easy for ECPs and their patients to make a difference—together.”

For more information about CooperVision clariti 1 day and its net plastic neutral initiative, visit the site one-day-better.com.