Facts About Eyeglasses

About 30.8 million people purchase new glasses each year and yet few know about their production, history and life cycle.

Glasses date back as far as reading stones, made in Italy in 1000 AD. The first glasses made their appearance in the same area between 1285 and 1289 and were crafted out of quartz set into bone, metal or leather.

Today, most glasses are made of plastics, rather than glass, to prevent breaking. This process requires the use of petroleum. Plastic often comprises the frames of eyeglasses as well, with the exception of luxury brand wood frames and metal titanium frames.

Additionally, anti-reflective, anti-scratch and hydrophobic (water-resistant) coatings on plastic lenses require the use of a variety of chemicals.

According to Unite for Sight, the global need for glasses includes:

• Over one billion people in developing countries need eyeglasses but cannot afford them.
• 25 percent of the global population needs eyeglasses.
• 50 percent of children in institutions for the blind in Africa would be able to read normal or large print if they had eyeglasses.
• The price for glasses in many African countries can exceed three months’ average salary.
• Despite this need, over four million pairs of eyeglasses are thrown away each year in North America.