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Contact lens fluid
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Woodstock



Joined: 11 Nov 2008
Posts: 77

PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 09 10:27 am    Post subject: Contact lens fluid Reply with quote
    

Hi there.
I use soft contact lenses and the deal is that the opticians send me a three month supply at a time. This means i get three huge bottles of the lens fluid but i never ever use all of it so it means I have brand new unopened bottles of the stuff just sitting around for months on end. Does anyone know anywhere that recycles the fluid rather than just the bottle or any charities who will take them? Thanks in advance as usual.

cab



Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 09 10:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Just sterile salty water I think, not a lot to be said for recycling it I'd have thought.

marigold



Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 12458
Location: West Sussex
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 09 11:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Try offering them on Freecycle. As long as the bottles are sealed I can't see any harm in giving them away.

Woodstock



Joined: 11 Nov 2008
Posts: 77

PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 09 12:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thanks guys.
To be exact it's a hydrogen peroxide solution. Just feels a waste if there's not a charity that could use it or something and i dislike throwing away whole bottles of anything, let alone chemicals!!!

cab



Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 09 12:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Woodstock wrote:
Thanks guys.
To be exact it's a hydrogen peroxide solution. Just feels a waste if there's not a charity that could use it or something and i dislike throwing away whole bottles of anything, let alone chemicals!!!


I see where you're coming from... But at the end of the day a little peroxide is neither environmentally harmful nor worth the energy needed to take it away and use elsewhere.

Might be a use for it in the house though. What concentration of hydrogen peroxide is it?

Slim



Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6533
Location: New England (In the US of A)
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 09 1:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I think that stuff is usually a fairly strong mixture. Might make a good oxidate substitute around the garden

Helen_A



Joined: 26 Jan 2005
Posts: 1548
Location: MK, Bucks.
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 09 1:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

You could ask the opticians to send you less - the place I get mine from often gives me freebies because its excess that has been ordered to cover the 3 months worth thing, but not wanted (they do reduce peoples charge accordingly there when they have less and can as they are inde., but I suspect a lot of monthly schemes from the big places wouldn't though )

Or you could offer it up unopened on freecycle, or via b&s forums on fora where you are known? Or ask around generally?

Helen_A

mark



Joined: 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 2191
Location: Leeds
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 09 1:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

In my dealings with big chain opticians they
1) alsways sign you up for a scheme where they provide you more of this stuff than you need so they can charge you more
2) are always issueing threats about the dire results if you use someone elses brand of liquid with their lenses - or the aweful things tht wil happen to another person if you give someone else your fluid. I thing your eyes turn bright red rotate rapidly and fall out!!

I have always thought most of it is bullshit to keep people tied into expensive contracts nd not getting cheaper lenses and fluids off the internet!

Anyway i am now sittign here feeliong sorry for myself cos i have done everything i was told and have used all the right fluids from my optician and been scrupulouly clen etc and still have very have very sore eyes and conjunctivitis (first time ever) and cant see too well right now!

Helen_A



Joined: 26 Jan 2005
Posts: 1548
Location: MK, Bucks.
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 09 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    



could also be that actually you are um reactive to one of the components of the solution..... the preservative in some can be pretty nasty for some people, the 'light' version of the same is usually made without said preservative. What you get 'sold' is more about what that optician is comfortable using than anything else, unless you are with an independent who has actually looked at them properly

In my experience there are several 'brands' of solution that are actually exactly the same one in different bottles... the one I use is made by sauflon, sold by them as such, sold to Vision Express and Specsavers (and possibly boots, although no on will confirm this) and these all sell it as their own brand solution..... Handy if you run out or forget to take it away with you (btdt ) because you can usually find a branch of one of those on your travels.....

These days I get my lenses from an online optician - because they are coming to the end of their life as a 'type' and this place is the only one that still has my prescription available any more

Helen_A

mark



Joined: 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 2191
Location: Leeds
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 09 2:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

"could also be that actually you are um reactive to one of the components of the solution..... the preservative in some can be pretty nasty for some people"


possible - but i don't think so in this case - i've been using it for around 2 years with no problems

Woodstock



Joined: 11 Nov 2008
Posts: 77

PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 09 2:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Oh Mark - sorry to hear about that. Hope it clears up soon.
I tried asking to be sent less but it's a package deal thing they say they can't change. The random thing is even when i went shopping around to see if i could just buy the things seperately it ends up costing quite a bit more
Will check the levels and advertise on freecycle. Thanks again for the ideas guys. I am just sure that at some point i heard about some sort of eye based charity who wanted anything lens or glasses related. Although to be fair I used to be involved in a local one for unused medication that got shut down so i suspect this might be the same. Ho hum it was worth a try

mark



Joined: 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 2191
Location: Leeds
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 09 3:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Woodstock wrote:
Oh Mark - sorry to hear about that. Hope it clears up soon.
I tried asking to be sent less but it's a package deal thing they say they can't change. The random thing is even when i went shopping around to see if i could just buy the things seperately it ends up costing quite a bit more
Will check the levels and advertise on freecycle. Thanks again for the ideas guys. I am just sure that at some point i heard about some sort of eye based charity who wanted anything lens or glasses related. Although to be fair I used to be involved in a local one for unused medication that got shut down so i suspect this might be the same. Ho hum it was worth a try


I'd send a not to your local Freecycle group moderator first.

Most groups have a blanket no drugs /no medicines rule - and your local mioderators probably wil be faced with deciding whether this fall into that category.

Opticians usually advise against passing it on - and though i am cynical about their motives (they want to sell another bottle) - it can make life difficult for moderators of the local group to decide.

mark
(who is also listowner for our local freecycle group)

Woodstock



Joined: 11 Nov 2008
Posts: 77

PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 09 5:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thanks Mark, you're a star.

(and yes, as far as the opticians go i would say it is a cynical move to shift more product although legally i suspect they are also covering their back sides).

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35056
Location: Devon
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 09 5:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Could you not use it for sterilising other things - wine making kit or similar.

Nick



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 09 5:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

It's likely to be about 100ml bottles. Not really enough for 25 demi johns.

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