Effort Follows Widespread Global Response to English-Only Versions
WATERLOO, ONTARIO, October 31, 2023—The Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) has published a series of infographics in 25 diverse languages that encourage responsible contact lens recycling and disposal. The initiative resulted from widespread positive feedback about four English-only versions released earlier this year.
The series is now available for download and use by the global eye care community at ContactLensRecycling.com
Languages now include Afrikaans, Arabic, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Malay, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, and Vietnamese. CORE plans to distribute additional languages over the coming months.
The four separate designs are intended for professional and consumer educational purposes, as sustainable practices and programs are becoming more established within the contact lens sector. One infographic helps communicate with wearers about relative impact, putting contact lens-related waste into context with other common products and lifestyle habits. Two others explain the best routes for ideal contact lens disposal, while a fourth reminds wearers not to place their contacts into wastewater systems. These can be provided to patients directly as printed resources, sent via email or text, or used on social media and practice websites to make consumers aware of available options.
“Several contact lens manufacturers have demonstrated sustainability commitments by preventing waste and inspiring reuse, recycling, recovery, and responsible disposal. Helping patients grasp that they can enjoy their contacts while remaining environmentally responsible is something we should all be reinforcing,” said Daddi Fadel, DOptom, clinical scientist with CORE and the coordinator of the translation initiative.
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About the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE)
The Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) was established in 1988 at the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry & Vision Science. Over the next three decades, the organization evolved from a three-person operation into a thriving hub of basic and applied research, collaborating with sponsors, agencies and academia on advanced biosciences, clinical research and education. Its uncompromising independence and results of the highest quality have been at the heart of many of the most prominent advances in eye health. Today, its approximately 50-person team serves a range of ophthalmic sectors, including medical devices, ocular pharmaceuticals, digital technology and others, with a focus on the anterior segment. For more information, please visit core.uwaterloo.ca.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Aimee J. Lewis or Mike McDougall, APR, Fellow PRSA, FAAO, McDougall Communications for CORE
aimee@mcdougallpr.com +1.585.414.9838 | mike@mcdougallpr.com +1.585.545.1815