Menicon Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: 21-19, Aoi 3, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Japan; President and COO: Koji Kawaura) announced that collection boxes will be installed for used disposable contact lens cases in all Miru stores of the Menicon Group, aiming for a new environmental-friendly contact lens distribution.
On April 1, 2024, Menicon launched the Menicon FUTURE DEVICE LABORATORY in Tohoku University.1) In this laboratory, Menicon joins the Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP) led by the Cabinet Office, Government of Japan. It promotes research on the scientific evidence-based efficient recycling of plastics used in the process of contact lens production and distribution, while simultaneously collecting used disposable contact lens cases with the goal of establishing a society-wide, environment-friendly contact lens distribution system.
In July 2023, the European Commission proposed that by 2030, at least 25% of the plastics used in new vehicle production must be sourced from post-consumer recycled materials.2) Similarly, regulations have been developed for the use of post-consumer recycled materials in various products. High-quality recycled materials and used plastics as material sources are now required not only for environmental protection but also for sustainable economic development. Under these circumstances, it is necessary to realize social circulation in which disposable contact lens cases are recycled into automobile materials.
As part of the efforts to spread this recycling approach, Menicon will sequentially install collection boxes dedicated to disposable contact lens cases in all Menicon Group “Miru” stores and sites handling Menicon products, as well as in general companies, shopping malls, and schools.
Menicon will promote this effort to ensure the essential utilization of plastics. This initiative will serve as a driving force to support social transformation.
<About the collection>
1) Menicon FUTURE DEVICE LABORATORY
https://www.ggi.tohoku.ac.jp/greenxtech/mfd-lab/
https://www.menicon.com/corporate/news/view/141
2) Source: Proposal of regulation of the European parliament and of the council (2023)
About Menicon Group “Miru” stores
“Miru” is a brand name of stores comprising the company-operated stores Menicon Miru, Miru+, and Fuji Contact and the Menicon Group contact lens sales chain stores Ace Contact, City Contact, and Hamano Contact.