Solar Glasses Recycling And Distribution

Are you interested in donating glasses?

If you are interested in donating your glasses, please read the FAQs below. You can also Click here to find a collection partner near you! Please only send glasses to the organizations on the list.

Please do NOT send any eclipse glasses to our Calabasas address. We are unable to receive glasses there. Thank you for understanding!

FAQ

What happens to my glasses? Where will they go?

Your glasses will be vetted for safety and authenticity at your regional hub, and then packaged and stored for future distribution. There are 2 solar eclipses per year and we will be actively seeking homes for the glasses. 

How likely is it that these solar glasses will find new homes to be reused?

Very likely. The issue is not finding homes, it's timing and that really depends on how many vetted glasses we will receive and when. We collected millions of glasses from the 2017 eclipse, vetted down to 300,000 and now all of them have been distributed.

Where do I send them?

Please refer to our collection center list to find the location closest to you.

How can I tell if they’re safe to reuse?

Look at the integrity of the lenses and their housings. The lenses need to be free of punctures, scratches, and bends, and the housing, whether plastic or cardboard, needs to be in good shape.

When looking through the glasses, the only visible thing should be the sun and other light sources as bright as the sun (such as a bright-white LED bulb, including the flashlight on your smartphone.) All else should be black. 

Will you resell them or will they be donated?

All glasses will be donated to future users. No glasses will be resold.

How should I package the glasses that I send?

If you are sending a small number of glasses, it is probably best to use a padded envelope to prevent crushing. For larger amounts, placing them in a cardboard box is fine, though you may wish to gently wrap them in tissue paper.

What if I still have questions?

If you have more questions about donating glasses, please email us at donateglasses@astronomerswithoutborders.org

From One Solar Eclipse to Another - AWB is THERE.

Sending Solar Glasses to Build Community

Astronomers Without Borders has been sending solar glasses for annular and total solar eclipse since 2008. From Africa, Asia, North and South America, our members, partners and National Coordinators helped to bring glasses to people who may not otherwise have a safe way to view the eclipse directly. Travellers from the United States graciously volunteered to bring them in their luggage and hand them out to local educators and organizers of public viewing events. 

Recycling Donated Glasses

Building a community beyond time and place - glasses that once allowed Americans to witness the 2017 Great American Eclipse built bridges to individuals all over the world!

Millions of donated glasses turned into a few hundred thousand that were vetted for reusability.

Tens of thousands were then sent to South America, Asia, Africa and South America again. Seven years after the Great American Total Solar Eclipse, we have dispensed all the glasses that were entrusted to us from generous Americans who sent them to us at their own expense. 

Building on Past Success

AWB is committed to continue sending glasses to those who need them for outreach and educational programs around the world.  AWB is currently searching for funding to support this program for the April 8, 2024 North American total solar eclipse.

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100% Proceeds Supports AWB's Eclipse Glasses Recycling Program

 Are you interested in helping us collect glasses?

Consider participating in our eclipse glasses recycling program by becoming a collection and vetting hub.

To sign up, fill out this Collection Node Form

FAQ

What’s the process of vetting the glasses?

Basically, you will be looking at the integrity of the lens and the housing of the lenses. The lenses need to be made sure to be free of punctures, scratches and bends and the housing, whether it be plastic or cardboard, need to be in good shape.

It’s an easy visual process where each pair of glasses needs to be inspected. While easy, it can be tedious. Each pair will take about 1/2 a minute to inspect on average.

How long do you expect the glasses to be stored?

We are asking that your facility hold the glasses from a few months to years. The reason being is that there are only 2 solar eclipses per year. Please be assured that we will be actively seeking homes for the glasses. So you may be called upon to send your glasses any time of the year as many will be used for solar observation and education as well.

Who is responsible for the shipping costs?

AWB is happy to provide the shipping fees for your vetted glasses. Many of our beneficiaries find their own funding to receive your generous donation of time and resources. We are also actively trying to seeking funding as well as partnerships with governments and embassies for getting your glasses to their new homes. You are very welcome to fund the shipping yourself. This can expedite their distribution as well.

How likely is it that these solar glasses will find new homes to be reused?

Very likely. The issue is not finding homes, it's timing and that really depends on how many vetted glasses we will receive and when. We collected millions of glasses from the 2017 eclipse, vetted down to 300,000 and now all of them have been distributed.

Does Astronomers Without Borders provide any collection bins and signs?

Unfortunately, we cannot provide physical resources at this time. However, you can download logos in our community member forum.

Is there a limit to the number of glasses that we can collect to be reused/redistributed?

We have not set limits to how many you can collect. We really leave that up to the collection nodes as this is a resource-based question. Questions you may want to ask your organization is: How many volunteers do you think you'll be able to recruit? How much space can you spare to store the glasses?

How much space will the glasses take?

To give you a good idea of the space needed to store the vetted glasses - when packed side-by-side, a 18x12x6 cardboard box will hold 2000 glasses. So, 50,000 glasses will make 25 boxes. Please note that you will be able to stack the filled boxes.

If you have more questions about the collection process, please contact us at collectionnode@astronomerswithoutborders.org

If you are interested in financially supporting this global program, please donate to our fundraiser here.

Note: AWB is a registered US 501(c)(3) Nonprofit

Collection Partners

Are you looking for a place to donate your glasses? Here's our list of Collection Partners that can vet and store them! The list is alphabetized by state and then by city. 

Come back and check often; our list is growing!

Due to an overwhelming interest in this program, we are currently in the midst of updating the list of collection nodes that will accept your used glasses. Please visit this page often as we are constantly updating it.

If you've contacted our organization, please know that we will answer every one of your questions but it may take some time to get to your request.