{"id":42599,"date":"2025-04-25T11:18:44","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T11:18:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mylocaloptician.co.uk\/?p=23191"},"modified":"2025-04-25T11:18:44","modified_gmt":"2025-04-25T11:18:44","slug":"coopervisions-plastic-neutrality-initiative-reaches-remarkable-half-billion-bottle-milestone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bedotdev.com\/mylocaloptician\/coopervisions-plastic-neutrality-initiative-reaches-remarkable-half-billion-bottle-milestone\/","title":{"rendered":"CooperVision\u2019s Plastic Neutrality Initiative Reaches\u00a0Remarkable Half-Billion Bottle Milestone"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nCooperVision\u2019s Plastic Neutrality Initiative Reaches\u00a0<\/strong>Remarkable Half-Billion Bottle Milestone<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\nInnovative Sustainability Partnership Celebrates Far-Reaching Impacts on People + Planet<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

CooperVision today announced a significant milestone in its pioneering plastic neutrality initiative. The multi-continent program\u2014in collaboration with Plastic Bank\u00ae<\/sup>, eye care professionals, and contact lens wearers\u2014has now prevented the equivalent of more than half a billion plastic bottles from entering the world\u2019s oceans.*1<\/sup><\/p>\n

\u201cAhead of Earth Day, we are thrilled to celebrate this incredible accomplishment. Practitioners and wearers who choose CooperVision plastic neutral contact lenses have been central to creating such an enormous impact, and we are proud to have partnered with them and Plastic Bank in helping people + planet,\u201d said Aldo Zucaro, Senior Director, Corporate Responsibility, CooperCompanies. \u201cEvery bottle collected prevents plastic waste from polluting our oceans and land, helping to protect ecosystems and wildlife. Half a billion bottles is an amazing milestone\u2014if you put them end-to-end, you could circle the earth two and a half times.\u201d<\/p>\n

In partnership with Plastic Bank, CooperVision funds the collection and recycling of ocean-bound plastic equivalent to the weight of plastic used across a range of its participating soft contact lenses, including the lens, blister and packaging components, that are sold and distributed across 34 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.\u20202<\/sup><\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the achievement should be celebrated, it is not our end goal\u2014we are always seeking ways to do more,\u201d continued Zucaro. \u201cThis journey is ongoing, and we are excited for what\u2019s ahead. Together, we can make an even greater difference for People + Planet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond the environmental benefits, CooperVision\u2019s plastic neutrality initiative elevates the lives of Plastic Bank collector members in hundreds of coastal communities.1<\/sup> In exchange for the ocean-bound plastic waste they collect, adults receive credits to purchase goods and services, including health, work and life insurance, digital connectivity, grocery vouchers, school supplies, and more.3<\/sup> Plastic Bank also provides vision screenings and vouchers for complimentary eye examinations and spectacles for eligible Plastic Bank collection members.4<\/sup><\/p>\n

As a leading manufacturer of contact lenses, CooperVision is continuously working to minimize its environmental impact and operate more sustainably around the globe. This includes efforts that extend well beyond plastic neutrality. The company has a strong track record of sustainable manufacturing and operations<\/a> resulting in award-winning conservation efforts in Puerto Rico5<\/sup> and prestigious sustainability certifications in Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Spain, the U.K., and the U.S. \u2021<\/sup>\u00a76,7<\/sup> At the center of CooperVision\u2019s sustainability platform is its commitment to design with intention and embrace innovation as a means for caring for People + Planet.<\/p>\n

CooperVision, through its collaboration with Plastic Bank, to have collected and converted approximately 10.26M kg of plastic destined for waterways as of April 2025. Using Plastic Bank’s metric of 1kg of plastic equaling 50 standard 202mm bottles, that will be the equivalent of approximately 513M plastic bottles not reaching our oceans.<\/p>\n

\u2020 Plastic used in participating CooperVision soft contact lens products is determined by the weight of plastic in the blister, the lens, and the secondary package, including laminates, adhesives, and auxiliary inputs (e.g. ink). The determination does not include plastic used during the manufacturing process for both these products and their packaging.<\/p>\n

\u2021 CooperVision has achieved Zero Waste Program Certification for six of its global manufacturing and distribution sites \u2014 Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico; Alajuela, Costa Rica; Delta Park and Mount Park in the UK; and Scottsville & West Henrietta, NY \u2014 reflecting their success in preventing or diverting waste from landfills. Zero Waste Program Certification is obtained through SCS Global Services, an international leader in third-party certification, validation, and verification for environmental sustainability.<\/p>\n