9 Best Places to Donate Old Glasses (Nearby & by Mail)

A pair of old glasses next to a leather case

Old pairs of prescription eyeglasses may not be useful to you as your prescription changes, but there are some options for donating your old glasses that can benefit others in your community or around the world, as well as keep additional waste from the environment.

Comparison Table

You can use the table below to compare the places that accept eyeglasses donations.

Select each company name to view more details in the list below, and select the arrows at the top of each column to sort the table.

Company Condition Accepts sunglasses? Accepts readers? In-person or by mail?
America's Best Gently used Yes Yes In-person
Goodwill Gently used Yes Yes In-person
LensCrafters Gently used Yes No In-person
Lions Clubs International Gently used Yes No Both
OneSight Gently used Yes No In-person
Pearle Vision Gently used Yes No In-person
Salvation Army Gently used Yes Yes In-person
Sam's Club Gently used Yes No In-person
Walmart Gently used Yes No In-person
WordPress Tables Plugin

The List

The list below details businesses that collect used eyeglasses. Note that in stores, the availability of donation boxes varies by location, as not all locations partner with their local Lions Club or a similar organization.

We list the options alphabetically; the best choice for you will depend on which stores are located near you and whether you’re willing to donate by mail.

We researched and contacted each of the following businesses to gather the details of their eyeglass donation programs. The glasses you donate do need to be in good condition, but they don’t need to be in a case.

The options in our list are national companies; you might also want to contact local optometrists, ophthalmologists, thrift stores, or homeless shelters near you to see if they accept used glasses. You might also consider creating donation boxes and collecting used glasses to donate on a larger scale.

America's Best logo

America’s Best

  • Types of glasses: Prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, and readers[1]
  • Condition: Gently used[1]
  • Restrictions: Donations available at some locations[1]
  • How to donate: Eyeglass collection box or give to an optical associate[1]
  • Find out more

Goodwill logo

Goodwill

  • Types of glasses: Any prescription and non-prescription glasses[2]
  • Condition: Gently used[2]
  • Restrictions: None
  • How to donate: Drop off in the donation area[2]
  • Find out more

LensCrafters logo

LensCrafters

  • Types of glasses: Any prescription glasses and sunglasses[3]
  • Condition: Gently used[3]
  • Restrictions: No readers[3]
  • How to donate: Drop off in the lobby[3]
  • Find out more

Lions Clubs International

Lions Clubs International

  • Types of glasses: Prescription glasses and sunglasses[4]
  • Condition: Gently used[4]
  • Restrictions: No readers[4]
  • How to donate: Dropbox at Walmart or Sam’s Club, take to your local Lions Club, or mail to a Lions Eyeglass Recycle Center (use the “find out more” link)[4]
  • Find out more

OneSight logo

OneSight

  • Types of glasses: Any prescription glasses[5]
  • Condition: Gently used[5]
  • Restrictions: No readers[5]
  • How to donate: Drop off at a LensCrafters or Pearle Vision location[5]
  • Find out more

Pearle Vision logo

Pearle Vision

  • Types of glasses: Any prescription glasses[6]
  • Condition: Gently used[6]
  • Restrictions: No readers[6]
  • How to donate: Drop off[6]
  • Find out more

The Salvation Army logo

Salvation Army

  • Types of glasses: Prescription glasses and sunglasses[7]
  • Condition: Gently used[7]
  • Restrictions: None[7]
  • How to donate: Drop off in the donation area[7]
  • Find out more

Sam's Club logo

Sam’s Club

  • Types of glasses: Prescription glasses and sunglasses[8]
  • Condition: Gently used[8]
  • Restrictions: No readers[8]
  • How to donate: Use the Lions Club dropbox[8]
  • Find out more

Walmart logo

Walmart

  • Types of glasses: Prescription glasses and sunglasses[9]
  • Condition: Gently used[9]
  • Restrictions: No readers[9]
  • How to donate: Use the Lions Club dropbox[9]
  • Find out more

Our previous research details how to donate glasses at Walmart.

Places That Don’t Accept Eyeglasses Donations


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *