Plastic Bank’s Partnership with CooperVision
COOPERVISION’S PLASTIC NEUTRALITY PROGRAM CREATES POSITIVE CHANGE FOR PEOPLE + PLANET
As a global leader in contact lens manufacturing, CooperVision is dedicated to developing quality lenses that bring better vision to the world. CooperVision’s sustainability efforts focus on:
- sourcing responsibly, by taking steps to conserve limited natural resources*†1 and exploring ways to bring renewables into its manufacturing operations‡§1
- offsetting waste from their products and packaging that cannot yet be reclaimed;◊1 and
- recovering + repurposing by working with partners to collect their manufacturing waste, recapturing resources and giving them new life when possible.¶1
At the core, CooperVision is committed to embracing innovation as a means for caring for People + Planet.
CooperVision first partnered with Plastic Bank in 2021 to introduce the world’s first plastic neutral contact lenses.2 Their plastic neutrality program funds the collection and recycling of ocean-bound plastic waste equivalent to the weight of the plastic used across a range of CooperVision’s participating soft contact lenses, including the lens, blister and secondary packaging. **3 This impactful partnership has expanded significantly to cover CooperVision products that are sold and distributed across 34 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. **3
A brighter future for collection members
In 2024, CooperVision announced a vision care program, which provides vision screenings and vouchers for complimentary eye exams and glasses for eligible Plastic Bank collection members4 in Indonesia. The vision care program was launched after a collaboration in 2023 between CooperVision and Plastic Bank where collection branch owners were trained to conduct vision screening assessments for collection members. Eligible members received a voucher for a complimentary professional eye exam and a pair of glasses from a CooperVision partner optician.
By end of 2026, hundreds of collection members in Indonesia will be eligible to receive vision screenings through the new vision care program.4
“One of our core values at CooperVision is doing the right thing, which is reflected in our commitment to sustainability, including being thoughtful about our relationship with plastic. While we appreciate plastic and the critical role it plays in developing comfortable, hygienic and efficacious contact lenses, we also recognize the importance of responsibly managing plastics. We know that eye care professionals and wearers are also increasingly concerned about making environmentally responsible choices as well.6 What’s exciting about our partnership with Plastic Bank is that it offers eye care professionals and wearers an opportunity to be part of our sustainability journey by simply choosing plastic neutral contact lenses. We can all play a role in helping People + Planet.”
Simon Seshadri
Senior Vice President of Global Marketing, CooperVision
“CooperVision’s partnership with Plastic Bank has had a significant impact on not only helping clean coastal communities by removing and recycling plastic waste,5 but also in improving the livelihoods and economic stability of collection members and their families.††1 As a global leader in contact lenses,‡‡1 CooperVision helps to improve the way people see so they can enjoy life’s beautiful moments. We are proud to have partnered with Plastic Bank to develop the first vision care program for collection members,4 as well as having led the way in developing the world’s first plastic neutral contact lenses.2 We are committed to supporting People + Planet through our collaboration with Plastic Bank.”
Aldo Zucaro
Senior Director of Corporate Responsibilities at CooperCompanies
“Collection members have limited access to basic eye care, and for many, this will be the first time they have received vision screenings and necessary vision correction. We know that vision impairment can affect quality of life, independence, and mobility. Working with CooperVision is not only bringing significant social benefits to our communities, but it is also bringing our vision of ending poverty to life.”
David Katz
Founder of Plastic Bank
- Refers to continuous manufacturing improvement processes undertaken by CooperVision to increase efficiency.
- † Natural resources are defined as but not limited to water, nitrogen, natural gas, and other organic compounds.
- ‡ Renewables are defined by ISCC as materials or energies that can be sustained indefinitely because of inexhaustible supplies or new growth.
- § CooperVision utilizes renewable materials and energies in its manufacturing operations.
- ◊ Refers to CooperVision’s plastic neutrality initiative with Plastic Bank.
- ¶ CooperVision’s 2020 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report.
- ** Plastic used in participating CooperVision soft contact lens products is determined by the weight of plastic in the blister, the lens, and the secondary package, including laminates, adhesives, and auxiliary inputs (e.g. ink). The determination does not include plastic used during the manufacturing process for both these products and their packaging.
- †† Refers to CooperVision’s plastic neutrality initiative with Plastic Bank.
- ‡‡ Combination of 2022 market research based on global volume data and internal estimates.
- References
- 1 CVI data on file, 2023.
- 2 CVI data on file, 2021, 2020-2020 Plastic Bank Contract Agreement.
- 3 CVI data on file, 2025.
- 4 Plastic Bank data on file, 2024.
- 5 CVI data on file as of April 2025.
- 6 CVI data on file, 2021. Plastic Neutrality Survey 397 eye care professionals. Decision Analyst April 2021
- (Germany, France) and October 2021 (Australia, Japan).
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