What Is the Environmental Impact of Contact Lens Packaging? Waste Reduction and Hygiene in Slim Flat Pack Design

The environmental impact of disposable contact lenses depends not only on the lens itself but also on the amount of individual packaging used for each lens, and slimmer, lower-volume packaging and simpler manufacturing are among the effective ways to reduce it¹. A person who wears daily disposable (DD) lenses in both eyes every day uses 730 lenses, and 730 individual packages, in one year¹. At the same time, contact lenses are medical devices, and packaging affects hygiene when the lens is handled before insertion; any environmental improvement must therefore not compromise hygiene or ease of use^1,2. This article covers the issue, general approaches to reducing packaging impact, the supporting research evidence, and, as one example, the Miru 1day Flat Pack.

Why Contact Lens Packaging Is an Environmental Concern

Daily disposable lenses are packaged one lens at a time, so packaging waste rises in proportion to the number of lenses used, and consumer and wearer interest in the issue is growing.

The UK Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) reports that 8 in 10 adults want businesses to focus on sustainability and reduce excess product packaging to help the environment1. Consumers who are more eco-conscious are also willing to pay, on average, about 20% more for products that benefit the planet¹. Surveys of contact lens wearers show a similar tendency¹.

Table 1: Survey data on consumer attitudes toward packaging and the environment
(Sources: Retallic N. Flat pack formation. Optician. 2022 Nov 4:27-29.)

Three General Approaches to Reducing Contact Lens Packaging Impact

Packaging impact can be addressed from three angles: (1) slimmer, lower-volume packaging, (2) less solution and material inside the pack, and (3) simpler manufacturing.

This grouping is our own summary and does not cover every manufacturer's initiatives. The contact lens industry is reported to be developing more eco-friendly packaging and reducing waste¹.

• Slimmer, lower-volume packaging: The smaller the thickness and volume of a package, the smaller the bulk of the same number of units when shipped and discarded.
• Less solution and material: Conventional blisters (bowl-shaped containers) hold enough solution to immerse the lens. Reducing the solution volume also allows the overall package to be smaller.
• Simpler manufacturing: Streamlining the process itself, for example by reducing the number of molds used to produce lenses, is another approach¹.

However, changing package size also changes how the lens is handled. Whether a finger can avoid the back (cornea-facing, inner) surface and whether the lens orientation is easy to identify bear directly on hygiene, so these points must be evaluated alongside environmental goals^1,2.

How Packaging Design Affects Microbial Contamination During Handling: Research Evidence

Packaging structure can affect the amount of microorganisms transferred to the lens back surface during handling, and an in vitro study reported less transfer with slim Flat Pack packaging than with conventional blister packs².

・Daily Disposable Lenses Are Not Risk-Free
Daily disposable lenses were expected to be hygienically superior, but studies have reported more nuanced findings. Wearer compliance with instructions and contamination from fingers during handling remain concerns.

Table 2: Key prior studies on daily disposable lenses, microbial keratitis (MK), and handling
(Studies cited in the introduction of Nomachi et al., 2013²)

The study by Boost et al. indicates that reusing lenses while using the blister pack as a storage case can increase contamination risk².

・In Vitro Study of Microbial Transfer With Miru 1day Flat Pack Packaging
Miya Nomachi, M.S., Kotaro Sakanishi, M.S., Hideji Ichijima, M.S. (Research & Development, Menicon Co., Ltd., Nagoya, Japan) and H. Dwight Cavanagh, M.D., Ph.D. (Department of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, USA) compared Miru 1day Flat Pack with four commercially available DD lenses in general blister packs². Fingers were coated with fluorescein beads (3 to 5 µm, about the size of common bacteria) or with Staphylococcus aureus (a bacterium, commonly called a “germ”), the lens was removed from its package, and transfer to the lens surface was evaluated².

Table 3: Transfer after handling, Miru 1day Flat Pack vs. conventional blister packs
(Source:Nomachi et al., 2013². n=5 per lens type, mean ± SD.)

With Miru 1day Flat Pack, no colonies formed on the inner surface of any of the five lenses, and adherence was limited to a slight amount on the outer surface². The authors note that microorganisms on the outer surface are easily washed away by blinking and tears, whereas those on the inner surface are less readily cleared and may raise the risk of ocular infection². The Optician review, citing Tan et al. (2021)¹ and Nomachi et al. (2013)², states that packaging with SMART TOUCH^TM technology reduces the risk of inner-surface contamination during handling by around three to four times compared with conventional packaging¹.

・Study Limitations and Appropriate Use

• This was an in vitro study and did not assess contamination during clinical wear. The authors state that prospective clinical studies in long-term wearers are needed².
• For S. aureus counts, statistical significance (P<0.05) was reported for the comparison with 1-Day Acuvue Moist².
• Three of the authors are Menicon employees, and one is a Menicon consultant².
• Even with the Flat Pack, hand washing before insertion is mandatory, and lenses must be discarded after one day and not reused. Eye care professionals should instruct patients accordingly².

Miru 1day Flat Pack: Slim Packaging and Manufacturing Design

Miru 1day Flat Pack is about 10–12% as thick as a typical blister, and a comparison of one-year supplies (730 lenses) shows an approximately 80% reduction in packaging waste (Menicon data on file)¹.

A 2022 article in Optician describes the environmental features of Miru 1day  Flat Pack as follows¹.

Table 4: Conventional blister pack vs. Flat Pack
(Sources: Retallic N. Optician. 2022¹; Nomachi et al., 2013².)

In Figure 1 of the article, the roughly 80% waste reduction is presented as a one-year comparison with conventional packaging, and the source is Menicon data comparing the product with a previous Menicon product¹. It is not a comparison with other manufacturers' products.

Miru 1day Flat Pack uses SMART TOUCH™ technology, which holds the lens raised in the correct orientation so it can be gently pinched out without touching the inner surface¹. Because the pack has no bowl-shaped well and contains only about 0.2 mL of solution, it is also difficult to reuse as a storage case^1,2. Around one in three daily disposable wearers report difficulty telling whether a lens is inside out¹. 

In a clinical study comparing three daily disposable lenses, including Miru 1day Flat Pack (n=30 per lens), follow-up scores were 93.7% for application and 95.5% for removal from the eye, and overall comfort was rated at 86%1. The study was small, and the author of the Optician article is a Menicon employee.

FAQ

Q. Is the main source of contact lens waste the lens itself or the packaging? 

A. In daily disposable contact lens use, individual packaging, including blister containers, foils, and secondary boxes, is an important contributor to physical waste because each lens requires a separate package. Therefore, optimizing package size, thickness, and solution volume provides the most significant opportunity for waste reduction.

Q. How can the environmental impact of contact lens packaging be reduced?

A. The main approaches are slimmer, lower-volume packaging, less solution and material, and simpler manufacturing¹. In every case, hygiene during handling must not be compromised.

Q. How much packaging waste does the Flat Pack save compared with conventional packaging?

A. Menicon data show an approximately 80% reduction in packaging waste for a one-year supply (730 lenses), compared with a previous Menicon product¹. The pack is about 10–12% as thick as a typical blister¹.

Q. Does slimmer packaging make hygiene worse?

A. In the in vitro study, fluorescein bead counts with Miru 1day Flat Pack were about 3.0 to 3.9 times lower than with conventional blister packs, and no S. aureus colonies formed on the lens inner surface². Clinical confirmation of reduced microbial contamination is still needed.

Q. Does using Miru 1day Flat Pack remove the need to wash hands?

A. No. Hands must be washed before inserting lenses, and lenses must be discarded after one day and not reused².

Q. Can the package be used as a lens storage case?

A. No. Miru 1day Flat Pack has no bowl-shaped container and holds only about 0.2 mL of solution, so using it as a storage case is physically difficult by design².

Key Takeaways

• Packaging matters: 8 in 10 adults want companies to focus on sustainability and reduce excess packaging, and 87.5% of surveyed wearers rate the environmental impact of contact lenses as important¹.
• Three angles for reduction: Slimmer, lower-volume packaging, less solution and material, and simpler manufacturing are the main ways to reduce packaging impact¹.
• Hygiene must come with it: Daily disposable lenses are not risk-free, and contamination from fingers during handling is a concern².
• Evidence: In an in vitro study, Miru 1day Flat Pack showed about 3.0 to 3.9 times fewer fluorescein beads and about 3.3 times lower S. aureus counts than conventional packs².
• Flat Pack design: About 10–12% of the thickness of a typical blister, with about 80% less packaging waste for a one-year supply (Menicon data on file)¹.

References

1. Retallic N. Flat pack formation. Optician. 2022 Nov 4:27-29.

2. Nomachi M, Sakanishi K, Ichijima H, Cavanagh HD. Evaluation of diminished microbial contamination in handling of a novel daily disposable flat pack contact lens. Eye Contact Lens. 2013;39(3):234-238. doi:10.1097/ICL.0b013e31828c0abe

Reviewed by: Menicon Clinical Affairs 

Updated: October 23, 2026