---
title: "Where do Spectacles go? Donate or reuse"
description: "Opticians and charity collection boxes. Frames are reused, not shredded. Why that route, what goes wrong on the wrong one, and how to prepare it."
url: https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/spectacles/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Where do Spectacles go?

**Where do Spectacles go?: Opticians and charity collection boxes. Frames are reused, not shredded.**

Donate or reuse

Most high street opticians have a collection box for old glasses, which are cleaned, graded by prescription and distributed by sight charities. Frames beyond repair are stripped for metal. Sunglasses and reading glasses are wanted too. Kerbside recycling has no route for a mixed metal-plastic-glass object of that size, so a collection box is genuinely the only sensible destination. No kerbside scheme anywhere takes them, so an optician collection box is the route in every area.

## How to prepare it

1. Drop them into an optician box, case and all.

## What not to do

- Never bin glasses; the reuse route is straightforward and free.

> Compiled from optician and sight-charity collection scheme guidance.

> Kerbside collection rules genuinely vary by council and county, and local rules always win over general guidance. The reasoning above is what transfers — if your service differs, it will usually be for a reason described here.

## Other things that go to donate or reuse

- [Clothes and textiles](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/textiles/) — Wearable: charity shop or clothing bank. Worn out: still the textile bank — damaged clothes are sorted for fibre and rag, not landfill.
- [Furniture (sofas, wardrobes, tables)](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/furniture/) — Reuse first — charities collect free. Otherwise a bulky collection or the household waste centre.
- [Shoes and trainers](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/shoes/) — Pair them, tie them together, and put them in a shoe or textile bank. Never in the bin.
- [Duvets and pillows](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/duvets-pillows/) — Not the textile bank. Animal shelters take clean ones; otherwise household waste centre or general waste.
- [Books](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/books/) — Charity shop, book bank or a street library. Paperbacks are recyclable as paper; hardbacks need the boards removing.
- [CDs, DVDs and cases](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/cds-dvds/) — Not kerbside recyclable. Donate playable discs; the polycarbonate needs a specialist and the cases are usually accepted separately.
- [Wine corks](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/cork/) — Natural cork composts and there are collection schemes for it. Plastic "corks" go in general waste.

## Common questions

### Where do Spectacles go?

Opticians and charity collection boxes. Frames are reused, not shredded.

### What happens if you put Spectacles in the wrong bin?

Never bin glasses; the reuse route is straightforward and free.

## Related pages

- [Where do Clothes and textiles go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/textiles/)
- [Where do Furniture (sofas, wardrobes, tables) go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/furniture/)
- [Where do Shoes and trainers go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/shoes/)
- [Where do Duvets and pillows go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/duvets-pillows/)
- [Where do Books go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/books/)
- [Where do CDs, DVDs and cases go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/cds-dvds/)
- [Where do Household batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9V) go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/batteries/)
- [Where do Lithium-ion batteries go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/lithium-batteries/)
- [Where do Vapes and disposable e-cigarettes go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/vapes/)
- [Where do Medicines and tablets go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/medicines/)
- [Where do Pizza boxes go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/pizza-boxes/)
- [Where do Leftover wet paint go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/paint-wet/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)