In a world where we advocate for more responsible consumption and for the optimization of existing resources, giving a second life to our eyeglasses has never been more important!
Thanks to the participation of many IRIS stores across Canada, especially their patients, IRIS Mundial is able to give this second life to many pairs of glasses by offering them to underprivileged populations in developing countries.
Thanks to a rigorous system of preparation and management of the glasses we receive, IRIS Mundial ensures that they are recycled to benefit many people around the world. For some of those people, this pair of glasses will probably be the only one they receive in their lifetime.
IRIS Mundial volunteers spend countless hours ensuring the best possible quality for each pair of glasses that will make the trip to a region where they are needed. The volunteers sort these glasses to eliminate broken frames, scratched lenses and dried out plastic. Then, if necessary, some time-consuming repairs will be made (pads and tips replaced) and then the glasses will be thoroughly washed. Finally, volunteers with the required expertise will analyze the glasses to determine the exact prescription and will then categorize and classify them so that they can be easily selected according to need. This is how IRIS Mundial builds the bank of glasses it takes overseas.
During one-time projects (group missions), when Canadian professionals travel to give eye exams to about 2000 patients in a region where visual services are not accessible, the IRIS Mundial volunteers offer a pair of glasses to each person who needs them. In order to do this, they have to search the bank of glasses for the prescription that most resembles that of the patient. Therefore, in order to be able to meet all the needs, IRIS Mundial has to be equipped with the largest possible inventory, which means travelling with more than 6,000 pairs of used prescription glasses!
IRIS Mundial Month is an opportunity to emphasize once again the importance of these missions: let's recycle and help someone, somewhere, to better see the world!
If you want to know more about IRIS Mundial's activities and if you want to get involved (especially to help us with the huge task of preparing used eyeglasses), we invite you to visit IRIS Mundial's website or its Facebook page. You don't need to be an optometrist or optician, everyone is welcome!
